MSNBC’s Tur Scoffs: I’m Not a Trump Critic, I'm a Journalist!

March 2nd, 2017 10:28 AM

Over on MSNBC Live Wednesday afternoon, journalist Katy Tur took offence when a Republican politician she was interviewing called her a critic of the president. Tur denied any bias insisting she was a “journalist,” not a “critic.”

Tur was talking to Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma about Trump’s address to Congress the night before. Tur pressed Inhofe on the question of Trump’s ties to Russia, asking why the president didn’t bring it up during his speech.

TUR:  There's been a lot of questions surrounding Donald Trump and his ties to Russia, his campaign and its ties to Russia. And these are questions that are still unanswered. Why would he not come out last night and stand very tough against Russia and its leader and the incursions not only made into the Ukraine but also politically here in the U.S.?

She added, He didn’t talk about Russia at all!"

Inhofe responded by subtly calling out Tur as a critic who would never be satisfied with anything Trump did or said.

INHOFE: Katy, you know, when you put together a major speech like that, you have to make a determination. Now, if he had mentioned Russia if any context at all, then you and several other people who might end up being his critics would find something about that to criticize him for. The fact that he didn't talk about Russia and did talk about NATO but recognized NATO, there are some problems with our relationship. I don't see anything that is a problem in terms of not directly talking about Russia. Because he knew the criticism he would get if he did that. He was trying. He was trying. I think he succeeded in making a very positive statement, looking at the future. It's optimistic. Good things are going to happen to America. We haven't heard that in a long time. I think he successfully did that.

Tur responded defensively, scoffing that she didn’t consider herself one of “Trump’s critics” but a “journalist.”

TUR: Respectfully Senator, I don't count myself among Donald Trump's critics. I count myself as a journalist. Thank you for joining us.

But Tur’s “journalism” frequently veered into attacks on Trump, while she covered him in the 2016 presidential campaign and after he won the election.

Most egregiously, Tur has suggested Trump was responsible for violence and even future murders in live reports. On violent liberal protests across the U.S., Tur lamented, “Where Trump goes, unrest follows.” In another instance, Tur actually suggested Trump would exhibit Putin-like behavior in ordering assassinations of journalists here in the U.S.

TUR: As we know, there's, since 2000, been a couple dozen suspicious deaths of journalists in Russia who came out against the government there. Donald Trump has made no secret about going after journalists and his distaste for any news that doesn't agree with him here. Do you find that this is a dangerous path he is heading down?

Tur has also bashed Trump as sexist several times on air. She has accused him of “veiled sexism” in his attacks against Hillary Clinton and has at other times played the victim herself when shushed by Trump at a press conference.

On top of that, Tur’s twitter feed is nearly entirely composed of tweets and retweets that criticize the President:

H/T: Free Beacon