Chris Matthews Freaks Out: Netanyahu Attempted a Coup in Congress

March 3rd, 2015 4:08 PM

MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews escalated his rage over Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress, Tuesday, hinting that the Israeli prime minister delivered what amounts to a coup. Appearing on his cable network for analysis, Matthews darkly warned, "This man from a foreign government walked into the United States legislative chamber and tried to take over U.S. foreign policy." 

Angered by the address, the cable anchor called the speech "shocking" and blamed both Netanyahu as well as Republicans: "They went into the U.S. Congress to take over U.S. foreign policy today from the President. It's a remarkable day when the leaders of the opposition in Congress allowed this to happen." Speaking of a speech by the leader of one of America's closest allies, Matthews wondered, "What country in the world would let a foreign leader come in and attempt to wrest from the President control of U.S. foreign policy?"

The MSNBC host reiterated, "This was a take-over attempt by Netanyahu with his complying American partners to take American foreign policy out of the hands of the President." 

Earlier in the day, Matthews sneered at the "hawk" Netanyahu as the man who "pushed" us into Iraq. 

A partial transcript is below:  

MSNBC Live
3/3/15
1:19

CHRIS MATTHEWS: But as we look at what the sanctions on Iran right now in the nuclear program, which Netanyahu brought up, they expire in roughly in roughly ten years, which kinda cleans the way and clears the way for Iran to move forward with any of its initiatives, do you think that this was -- is Netanyahu right, that the President can't be trusted on getting a secure deal out of Iran?         

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well, that's -- you know, I'll get to the heart of this speech now. This man from a foreign government walked into the United States legislative chamber and tried to take over U.S. foreign policy. He said, "You should trust me, not your president on this. I'm the man you should trust, I'm your true leader on this question of U.S. geopolitics. To protect yourself, you must listen to me and not this president." 

It was a startling situation, to allow someone to come in knowing that was going to be the message in the chamber of the U.S. Congress. This was a decision made by Boehner and certainly complied with by Netanyahu and his Ambassador Dermer. They went into the U.S. Congress to take over U.S. foreign policy today from the President. It's a remarkable day when the leaders of the opposition in Congress allowed this to happen. Think it through: What country in the world would let a foreign leader come in and attempt to wrest from the President control of U.S. foreign policy? And that's what the applause was about today. 

...

MATTHEWS: This was a take-over attempt by Netanyahu with his complying American partners to take American foreign policy out of the hands of the President.