Appearing as a guest on Sunday’s AM Joy, MSNBC weekend host Ali Velshi again rationalized the actions of rioters as he got an a soap box and preached about “institutional, socioeconomic injustice and racism” against the black population being the motivation for riots in Minneapolis and other cities.
His commentary elicited an “amen” from liberal host MSNBC host Joy Behar.
Velshi — who isn’t just an opinionated liberal host but is also a senior business correspondent for NBC News — began his analysis by arguing against liberals who have tried to exonerate Minneapolis residents from being blamed for violence by emphasizing out of state agitators as he suggested black residents have some justification for damaging their own city. Referring to fellow panel member and Minnesota Democratic Senator Tina Smith, Velshi began:
ALI VELSHI: I think the Senator (Tina Smith) had a lot of this wrong, and I think the governor has a lot of it wrong. The idea of focusing on whether there are agitators from outside and whether this should be about George Floyd misses the point in American cities and misses the point in this city in particular.
After noting that Minneapolis has a lower percentage of black population than the national average, he lamented that black residents have only half the median income of whites and then added:
VELSHI: White household ownership is greater than black household ownership by a bigger margin than most of America. Buying and owning a house in Minneapolis for African-American families is not actually a road to wealth like it is in other places, so when you combine that with … what Congresswoman (Ilhan) Omar was just saying about looking at what happened to George Floyd, what you look at is across the entire socioeconomic, legal, and political spectrum, blacks don’t count in Minneapolis.
As he continued, even though he asserted the day before that he was not defending the actions of rioters, he again sounded like he was doing just that:
VELSHI: So all this nonsense about focusing on George Floyd, and this being about George Floyd, and don’t do these things that are destructive, is nonsensical, and I was actually kind of surprised to hear from the Senator. This is institutional, socioeconomic injustice and racism. That’s what’s behind this. That’s why people are prepared to come out and do damage to private property. And to suggest that it’s out-of-staters and all that, it misses the fundamental point of what is wrong in Minneapolis and what is wrong in so many American cities.
The MSNBC liberal called Floyd “this week’s symbol of inequality” for African-Americans, and complained that the “underlying problem” is “not getting fixed” as he concluded.
Reid then started gushing over his sermon:
JOY REID: Well, you know what, it’s Sunday, and so that was a word, Ali Velshi. You just gave us a word because, yes, amen to what you just said. Thank you, Ali Velshi. I just want to thank you, first of all, for how amazing and how personal your reporting has been, and you’re out there taking those risks for us, so I really appreciate it. Please be safe out there, Ali Velshi. Thank you. And I know you’re safe among the protesters because, obviously, they’re there for the right reasons. Thank you so much — always appreciate you, man.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Sunday, May 31, AM Joy on MSNBC:
ALI VELSHI: I think the Senator (Tina Smith) had a lot of this wrong, and I think the governor has a lot of it wrong. The idea of focusing on whether there are agitators from outside and whether this should be about George Floyd misses the point in American cities and misses the point in this city in particular. This is not a majority black city. In fact, the proportion of African-Americans in this city is lower than on average. It’s about 12, 13, 12.7 percent across the country — it’s 8.7 percent in this city. It’s a large immigrant population. The median income for black households here is $38,000. It’s less than half the median income for white households.
White household ownership is greater than black household ownership by a bigger margin than most of America. Buying and owning a house in Minneapolis for African-American families is not actually a road to wealth like it is in other places, so when you combine that with what the representative was just saying, what Congresswoman (Ilhan) Omar was just saying about looking at what happened to George Floyd, what you look at is across the entire socioeconomic, legal, and political spectrum, blacks don’t count in Minneapolis.
So all this nonsense about focusing on George Floyd, and this being about George Floyd, and don’t do these things that are destructive, is nonsensical, and I was actually kind of surprised to hear from the Senator. This is institutional, socioeconomic injustice and racism. That’s what’s behind this. That’s why people are prepared to come out and do damage to private property. And to suggest that it’s out-of-staters and all that, it misses the fundamental point of what is wrong in Minneapolis and what is wrong in so many American cities.
People in Phoenix were not protesting because of George Floyd. They were protesting because George Floyd is this week’s symbol of the inequality that African-Americans continue to face in this country, in this city, and that is — we need to remember both. You need to say his name — you need to say everybody else’s name who died — and you need to remember that that list is so long because the underlying problem, as the Congresswoman said, is not getting fixed.
JOY REID: Well, you know what, it’s Sunday, and so that was a word, Ali Velshi. You just gave us a word because, yes, amen to what you just said. Thank you, Ali Velshi. I just want to thank you, first of all, for how amazing and how personal your reporting has been, and you’re out there taking those risks for us, so I really appreciate it. Please be safe out there, Ali Velshi. Thank you. And I know you’re safe among the protesters because, obviously, they’re there for the right reasons. Thank you so much — always appreciate you, man.
Maxine Waters said the looting done in LA was just some people “pre-lending” some stuff.
It is very telling how all these media blow hards that live in expensive houses, drive expensive cars talk about socioeconomic injustice. While all the time living in the lap of luxury. I wonder how many of these rioters Tina Smith, Velshi has had in her home for dinner? Hey Tina you imbecile. How about the Black Fire Fighter from Minneapolis who has built his business for 30 years only to have it burned down. I’d like to see you explain this away to him. But see she won’t do it because she’s a imbecile bitch that doesn’t comprehend intelegence.
There are liberal MSM “journalists” who are claiming that the rioting and looting is “…a physical expression of grief”.
They actually look at the camera and say this with a straight face. As if they truly mean it.
This is another manufactured crisis that the liberal media is using to attack Our President and force the divide between citizens of the U.S even further apart. The “divide” that # 44 started.
WOW Jon, I bet you have stated what much of American is thinking. And the incompent #44 is completely to blame for setting us back 20-30 years and dividing the populace.
As an investigator can say how much more violent the black man is than others. Not all, but many. Floyd had priors for aggravated robbery and resisting. While his death can be ruled murder, it doesn’t justify riots and looting–arson. If others get fed up enough, 83% of the population can reduce the 13% problematic portion.
One can only hope….
Gee, I didn’t hear her, or anyone else, point out that Minneapolis, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, etc, etc, etc, are ALL governed by DEMOCRATS and most all of them have been for years. If I had a business in any of those places that suffered rioting and looting, I’d take my insurance money and move to another place. ANY place. As long as there were no Democrat politicians anywhere around.
If people want to vote for that kind of ‘leadership’, they’re welcome to it.