On MSNBC, 'Top Chef' Host Lakshmi Suggests US 'Guilty' of 'Crimes' Abroad

March 11th, 2017 8:48 PM

Appearing as a guest on Saturday's AM Joy on MSNBC, Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi of the Bravo network bizarrely alluded to America having committed "crimes" and "felonies" against other countries as she lamented that people abroad have lost feelings of "goodwill" they used to feel toward the U.S,, while she and host Joy Reid fretted over the Donald Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.

Here's Lakshmi: "Regardless of whatever crimes or felonies that Americans -- or the American government or policy -- may be, you know, guilty of doing abroad, America still has a lot of -- or had a lot of goodwill because, you know, there was always this example of being a hopeful, tolerant place."

At the end of the show, as the two discussed the Trump administration's policies, Reid brought up illegal immigration as she asked: "And you're so associated in a lot of Americans' minds with sort of, you know, a show that really talked about food and how we sort of feed ourselves. When we have an attack particularly on a certain class of immigrants who are associated with picking and gathering our food, what does that say about America?"

Lakshmi responded:

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You know, I think that, you know, I just got through doing a five-city book tour in India, and, of course, what everyone wanted to ask me about was what was going on here in America. And I think, you know, regardless of whatever crimes or felonies that Americans -- or the American government or policy -- may be, you know, guilty of doing abroad, America still has a lot of -- or had a lot of goodwill because, you know, there was always this example of being a hopeful, tolerant place. America was this shining beacon of, you know, anybody could come here. 

She added:

It didn't matter what your last name was -- it didn't matter who your family was. It didn't matter what station of life you arrived here with. If you wanted to work hard, you could foster a life for yourself and that idealism -- that American Dream -- because that's what the American Dream is to most people. I think that's what's the saddest thing internationally.

The liberal MSNBC host was unfazed by the suggestion of America committing crimes against other countries as she simply injected, "Yeah," a couple of times and ended up responding: "Yeah, absolutely," before concluding the show. Accusing America of committing crimes is apparently just normal talk among liberals.