On Tuesday, disgraced MSNBC journalist Brian Williams had a very poor outlook for the week of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. “There is a kind of a dark mood surrounding this week for a lot of people,” he whined on The 11th Hour, “The approval rating of Donald Trump is at 40 percent, it's the lowest of recording polling.” Williams was venting to Princeton University Professor Eddie Glaude, who had his own scheme for inauguration day.
“But then on this week, where our thoughts are supposed to be about Dr. King, we start the discussion the way we did,” he continued to complain. Glaude was in complete agreement and immediately took to smearing the president-elect:
Yeah, and I think it's important to understand that the way in which we started the discussion actually reflects what we experienced over the course of the general election. That Donald Trump, in some ways, traded in our fears. He tried to, in some ways, stoke our prejudices. He did not, in some ways, call the nation to its better angels. In fact, he actually provided room for our darker sides to show.
Glaude argued that, because of what he just described, he wasn’t surprised that Trump spent MLK Day attacking a Congressman John Lewis, a Civil Rights icon. “It makes sense that it would reveal that Donald Trump really doesn't seem to be committed to governing all of America,” he opined, “He doesn't seem to be committed to making those who are really uncomfortable about the prospects of him being in the White House comfortable with that fact.”
“You can disagree with John Lewis, you don't have to diminish him. You can disagree with John Lewis, but you don't have to diminish him,” he argued. But neither Glaude nor the liberal media had shared that same standard with Trump. It brings to mind the old adage parents tell their children, that two wrongs don’t make a right.
“What could Donald Trump say after he places his hand on the bible Friday and has a chance to speak unfettered to obviously a domestic live television audience, but a global audience as well,” the MSNBC host wondered of Glaude. But the professor had little hope for Trump, dismissively stating, “I think at the end of the day, Donald Trump's narcissism will trump any -- any -- attempt to reach for higher ground.” It was then when Glaude revealed his idea for inauguration day:
I'm actually calling for people to turn the channel, to boycott the inauguration. If you're not going to be there, don't watch it. Engage in some kind of civic activity. Turn to your loved ones. Because I think he should receive the lowest televised ratings in the history of modern presidential inaugural speeches.
Williams didn’t care about how divisive his guest was being nor the dark mood he was creating. Instead, he joked that everyone should still watch MSNBC on Friday, “You would regard me as one of your loved ones and you would never walk into our house and tell people not to watch our first-rate coverage of the day.”
Transcript below:
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MSNBC
The 11th Hour
January 17, 2017
11:19:29 PM EasternBRIAN WILLIAMS: Professor, there is a kind of a dark mood surrounding this week for a lot of people. The approval rating of Donald Trump is at 40 percent, it's the lowest of recording polling. But then on this week, where our thoughts are supposed to be about Dr. King, we start the discussion the way we did.
EDDIE GLAUDE: Yeah, and I think it's important to understand that the way in which we started the discussion actually reflects what we experienced over the course of the general election. That Donald Trump, in some ways, traded in our fears. He tried to, in some ways, stoke our prejudices. He did not, in some ways, call the nation to its better angels. In fact, he actually provided room for our darker sides to show.
And so the fact that on MLK day, that you had this extraordinary exchange between the president-elect and a Civil Rights icon, one that was in some ways, overdetermined by the general election. It makes sense that it would reveal that Donald Trump really doesn't seem to be committed to governing all of America. He doesn't seem to be committed to making those who are really uncomfortable about the prospects of him being in the White House comfortable with that fact. And I can say this. You can disagree with John Lewis, you don't have to diminish him. You can disagree with John Lewis, but you don't have to diminish him.
WILLIAMS: As I always say, he was beaten to within an inch of his life. And the black and white photos are there as evidence. Thanks to your subtle Lincoln quote, I'm reminded that there are some soaring inaugural speeches and there have been some clunkers. Some have been too short, some too long. People forget John F. Kennedy didn't talk about a single domestic issue. That was the world we were in. It was all about our frontiers in the sky and overseas. What could Donald Trump say after he places his hand on the bible Friday and has a chance to speak unfettered to obviously a domestic live television audience, but a global audience as well?
GLAUDE: You know, I have yet to try to successfully anticipate what would come out of his mouth or what could come out of his mouth. I think in the best of all possible worlds, it would be a wonderful instance, if he could reach for the best of American ideals, to kind of give content to the idea of making America great again. But I think at the end of the day, Donald Trump's narcissism will trump any -- any -- attempt to reach for higher ground.
I think-- I'm actually calling for people to turn the channel, to boycott the inauguration. If you're not going to be there, don't watch it. Engage in some kind of civic activity. Turn to your loved ones. Because I think he should receive the lowest televised ratings in the history of modern presidential inaugural speeches.
WILLIAMS: You would regard me as one of your loved ones and you would never walk into our house and tell people not to watch our first-rate coverage of the day.
GLAUDE: Of course not! [Laughter]
