Wait: we thought it was those ee-vil Republicans who incite violence among their supporters!l
But on Saturday's edition of MSNBC's The Weekend, co-host Symone Sanders Townsend made an explicit call for violence against Trump. Or she used violent metaphors that could be misunderstood.
Democrat strategist and MSNBC analyst Basil Smikle uncorked a lecture about how Trump disrespects Kamala Harris by suggesting she isn't qualified, isn't smart, and doesn't do her homework. Symone worked for Kamala and she's sitting right there. Ask her if Harris did had a habit of doing her homework, and what kind of boss she was.
But Smikle's overarching point was that Trump's attacks denied her any dignity. They never stop for two seconds and wonder if anyone on MSNBC grants Trump any fraction of respect. Because, automatically, they don't think he deserves any.
When Smikle suggested that Kamala Harris shouldn't descend into "the gutter" with Trump, Sanders took issue:
"Well, sometimes when they go low, you gotta kick 'em. You gotta -- boom! -- pop him in the shin real quick. And maybe we will see that on the debate stage."
Trump has already been the victim of an assassination attempt, escaping death by the narrowest of margins.
Sanders might defend her outburst by saying she was speaking figuratively. But surely Sanders understands that some unhinged person out there, hearing her words, might take them literally and launch another attack on Trump -- with unknowable consequences.
And just imagine the outrage on the left if Trump recommended kicking Kamala! Well, we can remember 2016, when he joked about paying the legal fees of his supporters if they would "knock the crap" out of those protesting Trump.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
The Weekend
9/7/24
8:02 am EDTDONALD TRUMP: Now, Kamala is an unusual name, but at least you know who we're talking about. When I say Harris, nobody knows who the hell I'm talking about. They say, who is that? So maybe we'll refer to her more as Kamala. It's a little friendlier, too. But it's hard to be friendly with somebody that wants to destroy our country.
BASIL SMIKLE: I think that if he feels and his team feels that they can't grow grow their support, the best way to win is to diminish her.
MICHAEL STEELE: Well, that's an important point.
SMIKLE: And the way that they're doing it, is by trying to tap into a sense that this woman of color is not qualified for the role. Isn't smart, doesn't do her homework, isn't up to the task. We've heard that a thousand times before, right? The whole, if you're a person of color, a very common attack by your opponent, if that person is not a person of color, is that you're not qualified. It's a very old tactic.
And you can see him doubling down on that language every single time that he talks about her. Not even using her name correctly. I mean, that's textbook for him, but it'sa lso textbook in ways that people of color are diminished. I'm not even going to say your name, I'm not even going to give you that kind of dignity, right? We'll see that more often. I said that when she became the nominee, that his attacks would get bad, and they are. But what I like is that they're not, I don't think they're working, they're not sticking.
Because as you talk about the enthusiasm, the sort of juice from the last two months, means that everybody feels deputized to be able to push back. And that's what we're seeing.
STEELE: Just real quick, because you made a really important point that I don't want people to skip by. I think it's important. Donald Trump has a ceiling, she does not. So he's got to bring her down to his ceiling or below. And that's what you're seeing as part of that.
SMIKLE: Don't play, don't play in the gutter. And she's gotta -- she's not going to do it. But don't go down there with him.
SYMONE SANDERS TOWNSEND: Well, but sometimes when they go low, you gotta kick 'em. You know? You gotta -- boom! -- pop him in the shin real quick. And maybe we will see that on the debate stage.
