Lauer Demands Trump Tell RNC Speakers to ‘Tone Down the Rhetoric'

As presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump arrived in Cleveland Monday afternoon, he was greeted by NBC Today co-host Matt Lauer hectoring him about the “tone” of the GOP convention, which had barely started: “There’s been so much violence in the country in the last couple of weeks. People are on edge, they’re tense. You add to that the passion that comes with political debate and there are…
Kyle Drennen
July 19th, 2016 8:33 AM

Reid Admits It Felt ‘Hostile,’ ‘Weird’ to Be ‘Person of Color’ at RNC

MSNBC’s AM Joy host Joy Reid bemoaned in Tuesday’s early hours at the Republican National Convention (RNC) that Melania Trump’s plagiarized speech was unfortunately “the first of the night that didn’t have this subtext...that brown people are dangerous” to the point that Reid felt uncomfortable being around the RNC that she found to be so “not inclusive.”  
Curtis Houck
July 19th, 2016 2:54 AM

Awkward: Pained Brian Williams Uncomfortably Notes Ethical Lapse

An awkward and pained Brian Williams on Monday night was forced to discuss the ethical lapse of someone other than himself. MSNBC journalists and panelists eagerly pounced on the fact that lines from Melania Trump’s Republican convention speech appear to be lifted from Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention address. However, Williams, who came under fire for grossly exaggerating…
Scott Whitlock
July 19th, 2016 1:26 AM

Bee Compares Platform to Westboro Baptist Church, Pence Living in 1952

In the first of unfortunately two shows for the week, TBS’s Full Frontal host Samantha Bee compared the substance of the 2016 Republican National Convention (RNC) platform to views held by the Westboro Baptist Church and took predictable shots smearing Indiana Republican Governor Mike Pence as anti-woman and backward thinking.
Curtis Houck
July 19th, 2016 1:16 AM

Bill Maher: Cops Getting Shot Is 'Just Part of the Job'

HBO’s Real Time host Bill Maher was a guest on Netflix’s talk show Chelsea and, together with Chelsea Handler, he hit all of the following liberal talking points: Portraying police as power-hungry, racist cowards? Check. Promoting riots? Check. Calling Republican opposition to socialist liberals racist? Check. Demonizing hunting? Check. Toss in a few fat jokes and that’s the pretty much the whole…
Karen Townsend
July 19th, 2016 12:20 AM

Networks Warn of ‘Dark,' 'Divisive’ Night at GOP Convention

During live coverage of the Republican National Convention, Monday, the three networks chided the “dark” and “divisive” tone of the GOP’s opening night. CBS’s Bob Schieffer offered a closing commentary in which he suggested that Trump in 2016 could end up like the landslide losses of 1964 and 1972. Regarding a single Code Pink protester, ABC’s Terry Moran blamed, “It was the kind of unsettled…
Scott Whitlock
July 19th, 2016 12:08 AM

Let's Talk About Univision's Ongoing Hard-Sell Of Julian Castro For VP

Presumptive Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton hasn't even chosen a running mate, nor is the process open to a vote. That hasn't stopped Univision from clearly voicing its choice for Vice President: Julián Castro, former mayor of San Antonio and current Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 
Jorge Bonilla
July 18th, 2016 11:56 PM

Off the Rails: Van Jones Declares GOP Convention a ‘Hate-Fest’

During CNN’s coverage of the Republican National Convention on America’s Choice 2016 on Monday, panelist Van Jones went off the rails and declared the whole event an unabashed “hate-fest.” “What I will say is this. Up until now, up until this moment, I was not saying borderline hate-fest. This is hate-fest,” Jones declared after his fellow panelists called him out for going beyond the pale with…
Nicholas Fondacaro
July 18th, 2016 11:54 PM

Sharp Divergence in Spanish Nets' Opening Convention Coverage

Kicking off their respective coverage of the 2016 GOP Convention, Univision and Telemundo dealt with Republicans very differently. Univision’s Al Punto, led by Jorge Ramos, continued its usual anti-Trump tirade, while Telemundo actually a more balanced approach.
Edgard Portela
July 18th, 2016 11:00 PM

Robinson Laments GOP Always Using 'Fiery' Blacks at RNC

After spending the previous hour on Monday smearing Pat Smith’s speech about her son’s murder in Benghazi as having “ruined” the night, an MSNBC panelist questioned why Republicans turn to “fiery, committed” African-Americans at Republican National Conventions (RNC) “to make [their] case” and another compared the Black Lives Matter movement to the Boston Tea Party. 
Curtis Houck
July 18th, 2016 10:51 PM

Smug Todd: Benghazi Is ‘Cheap Unity’ for 'Lowest Common Denominator'

A smug Chuck Todd on Monday dismissed Benghazi at the Republican Convention as nothing more than “cheap unity” for the “lowest common denominator” crowd. Chris Matthews railed that the GOP speakers were presenting “third world rhetoric.” Todd insulted, “Benghazi... does serve Trump in another way positively, politically, which is  a way to unify this crowd quickly. It's a way to get cheap unity…
Scott Whitlock
July 18th, 2016 10:28 PM

ABC Hypes Hillary Super PAC's 'Counter-Convention' Hammering Trump

The Big Three networks' evening newscasts on Monday all spotlighted Hillary Clinton's speech to the NAACP's annual convention in Cincinnati. ABC's Cecilia Vega played up how "Clinton's supporters waging a counter-convention of their own — a pro-Clinton super PAC...linking Trump to former KKK leader David Duke." CBS's Nancy Cordes contrasted Clinton's NAACP appearance with a detail about the…
Matthew Balan
July 18th, 2016 10:15 PM

CNN Host Urges Trump to Condemn Sheriff Clarke, Guest Bashes

Less than 24 hours after the highly contentious interview between CNN’s Don Lemon and Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clark, CNN Host Erin Burnett demanded to know if Donald Trump agreed with him. “He’s [Sheriff David Clarke] going to be speaking tonight. He blames black lives matter for these tragedies against police. Does Donald Trump condone that,” Burnett asked to a Trump supporter on her…
Nicholas Fondacaro
July 18th, 2016 10:07 PM

MSNBC Smears Pat Smith’s Speech About Benghazi; It 'Ruined' the Night

From the moment that Pat Smith concluded her Monday night speech at the Republican National Convention (RNC) about how her son was murdered in the 2012 Benghazi terror attack, MSNBC had their marching orders to annihilate, demean, and smear Smith for her attacks on Hillary Clinton that left the assembled cast of liberals confused at the “gross accusation” that’s “ruined” the entire night.
Curtis Houck
July 18th, 2016 9:47 PM