In the initial moments following the Dallas, Texas interfaith service on Tuesday afternoon to memorialize the slain Dallas police officers, MSNBC hailed President Barack Obama’s very politicized speech as “part sermon, part speech” and one that “[spoke] to our angels” reminiscent of his Charleston, South Carolina address on June 26, 2015.
Breaking news anchor Brian Williams spoke upon the service’s conclusion and deemed that “[t]he last portion of which was part sermon, part speech from the President of the United States that may be compared in tone and emotion to the eulogy he delivered — different circumstances, different setting in South Carolina.”
Even though he wasn’t even there (but who’s not surprised given his history of lying), Williams ruled in tossing to NBC/MSNBC’s Craig Melvin that “you could hear a pin drop during the President's remarks.”
Speaking from experience by having actually been on the ground in South Carolina last year, Melvin gushed that the similarities were “one of the things that really struck me and I'm glad you raised that point” about his remarks having “reminded me, almost two or three minutes in of that speech in Charleston.”
Melvin further lamented that Obama was forced to “once again giv[e] voice not just to our grief” and also, in his opinion, provide “voice to the anxieties that a lot of folks had before last week and certainly in light of what we have seen play out in this country over the past week.”
“President Obama, doing his best to speak to our angels, going noticeably longer than last year for about 40 minutes,” he declared.
After noting the massive memorial for Dallas police officers outside the Dallas Police Department headquarters, Melvin concluded by touting the President’s use of the Bible and scripture to drive home his arguments (albeit extremely politicized in favor of gun control and the Black Lives Matter movement):
But, the President, calling on us, it would seem to do two things, to empathize and to love. He did what he has done on other occasions. He started and he ended with scripture. This time, it was Romans 5:3. In our suffering, there is glory and glory produces with perseverance. Starting and ending with that, Brian.
While Melvin and Williams offered fawning, hot takes about the President’s speech, they were definitely not anywhere close to the out-of-control commentary offered by author and CNN Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley uttered about Obama echoing Abraham Lincoln. For more on that, my colleague Matthew Balan provided an excellent write-up here.
The relevant portion of the transcript from MSNBC Live on July 12 can be found below.
MSNBC Live
July 12, 2016
3:31 p.m. EasternBRIAN WILLIAMS: This will bring a formal and official ending to this interfaith service in Dallas, Texas. The last portion of which was part sermon, part speech from the President of the United States that may be compared in tone and emotion to the eulogy he delivered — different circumstances, different setting in South Carolina. Craig Melvin, who has been covering this story in Dallas since the start was also there in South Carolina. Craig, you could hear a pin drop during the president's remarks. So notable for what he said to different audiences.
CRAIG MELVIN: You know, Brian, one of the things that really struck me and I'm glad you raised that point. This reminded me, almost two or three minutes in of that speech in Charleston. Almost a year ago, President Obama, once again, giving voice not just to our grief, but also giving voice to the anxieties that a lot of folks had before last week and certainly in light of what we have seen play out in this country over the past week. President Obama, doing his best to speak to our angels, going noticeably longer than last year for about 40 minutes. He is well-compared to the shooter here to the shooter in Charleston, has done that a few times saying both were guilty of hate crimes as well. The line that stood out more to me than just about any other line was we are not as divided as we seem. We are not as divided as we seem. President Obama going out of his way to answer some of the criticisms that we have heard, some of the criticisms that we’ve read over the past few days and on his watch, the chasm in this country between black and white, that chasm has grown wider. President Obama insisting that's not the case. I want to show you something here behind me at police plaza, Dallas Police headquarters. This is that memorial that we have watched grow, perhaps exponentially the last few days. Two police cars, believe it or not, buried beneath the balloons and the flowers and the cards and the posters. We have seen police officers, law enforcement officers, not just from Dallas, not just from Texas, but from all over the country. We have seen young and old and black and white, all denominations, they’ve stopped, they’ve prayed, they have sang, they have cried, they have embraced. And a few stopped to listen to the President's remarks as well. But, the President, calling on us, it would seem to do two things, to empathize and to love. He did what he has done on other occasions. He started and he ended with scripture. This time, it was Romans 5:3. In our suffering, there is glory and glory produces with perseverance. Starting and ending with that, Brian.
