Shades of Hillary's deplorables! Scratch a liberal, and disdain for the great unwashed masses of Trump supporters will often emerge.
Just as it was in 2016 when Hillary let "deplorables" slip, so it was with Michael Steele Saturday, co-host of The Weekend on MSNBC.
After playing a clip of Trump suggesting that Kamala Harris might have been given the debate questions in advance, and had something in her ear transmitting instructions, Steele said:
"The fact he is running close in this race, to me, is offensive. Because it says a lot about us as Americans if you believe this guy."
Yes, those Trump believers are offensive to Steele. He forgets Salena Zito's brilliant observation on Trump in 2016:
"The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.”
The people in Las Vegas cheering Trump didn't necessarily believe that Kamala got the debate questions in advance, or had an ear device transmitting instructions. Instead, many were surely expressing their support for Trump's bigger message: that the liberal media has things stacked against him.
Anyone watching the debate could see that it was three against one, with "moderators" Muir and Davis fact-checking Trump at every turn, while never challenging any of Kamala's false claims. And it's a fact that in 2016, Donna Brazile, then with CNN, leaked questions to Hillary in advance of CNN-sponsored events.
Steele suggests that it reflects badly on people who are, by implication, dumb enough to believe Trump. Steele is offended that there are enough of them around to make this a close race.
Steele's contempt only reinforces the belief of Trump supporters that the liberal elites truly do disdain them, and that the deck is stacked against them.
Note: After the clip was played of Harris bobbing her head as she spoke at a rally, Steele—facetiously we presume—said he thought she wasn't well and that he was on the verge of calling emergency services. He added, "I'll pay for that later"—which might not have been facetious!
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
The Weekend
9/14/24
8:01 am EDTKAMALA HARRIS: You know, in the midst of this moment where there are people trying to divide us as a nation, trying to make people feel small and feel alone, these are moments that remind all of us that we are all in this together.
We need a President of the United States who works for all the American people. [ Applause ] Just stop with all the trying to divide us. Like, people are exhausted with that stuff.
SYMONE SANDERS TOWNSEND: Joining us now is DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison. I'm not going to lie, the High School Musical song just jumped into my head at that moment [presumably a reference to the song "We're All In This Together."]
MICHAEL STEELE: She was, she was bobbing along there. I, of course, thought she wasn't well. I was about to grab emergency services. [ Laughter ]
Chairman, welcome to the table, happy to have you with us this morning. I'm going to pay for that later, folks.
Look, I think we're all kind of curious and excited about this New Way Forward battleground tour. I think it's smart politics to get out on the street. It puts her in space with real people. It has her having a direct conversation with the American people about her plans. And sort of gives her a chance to, again, drill down on some of the economic issues that are front and center for a lot of voters.
But, of course, in the backdrop, there is this noise. And I want to play for you Donald Trump on Friday in Las Vegas. Talking about the debate and what he thought happened.
DONALD TRUMP: She can't talk about it without maybe getting the answers, what's the story with that? Did she get the questions? Do you think?
So I hear she got the questions, and I also heard she had something in the ear, a little something in the ear. No, Kamala, do this. Say it this way, Kamala. Okay, be quiet.
STEELE: So, I just, I play that because, to the Vice President's point, this man is unserious.
JAIME HARRISON Yes.
STEELE: So the fact he is, he's running close in this race, to me, is offensive. Because it says a lot about us as Americans if you believe this guy.
