MSNBC Panel Defends ‘Uncle Tim’ Tag, Says Tim Scott Doesn’t Understand Racism

MSNBC’s The ReidOut went all out in showing its hatred for Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), trashing his speech as proof he deserved the label “Uncle Tim” on account of his support for the party that they claimed was the reason why he grew up poor and his grandfather was illiterate. Worse yet, they argued that, since Scott refused to America “a racist country,” he doesn’t understand racism while white liberals like Pete Buttigieg.

But more broadly, it helped further reveal on Thursday what many have pointed to, which is the vitriol further underlined the left’s disdain for America, intolerance toward racial minorities who identify aren’t progressive, and believe that such people of color are loathsome or less intelligent or for not recognizing what’s in their best interest.

Fill-in host Jason Johnson teased he would take issue with Scott’s failure “to base” Republican “priorities on reality” and then said it’s fair to say Scott has “sold out” to his race by being a Republican. 

However, he did express discomfort with the “Uncle Tim” label as it reminded him of both the length it was up as a trending topic but also because it harkened back to Condolezza Rice being called Aunt Jemima.

Frequent MSNBC guest Christina Greer had no such uneasiness and even defended the slur because it was a public display of “the internal conversations that many black people have about Tim Scott and the Republican Party” since he supports the GOP and the Trump presidency.

Greer then argued Scott should come to his senses and realize that his Republican Party was the reason why he grew up poor, began with a less-than-stellar education, and had an illiterate grandfather.

She further added that Scott deserved to be tagged a betrayal to Black people because he’s “weaponize[d] Christianity” in order to offend Christian Democrats (click “expand”):

So, that’s where the lack of respect comes from. When he talks about growing up in a one-bedroom house, ask yourself, why did you grow up in a one-bedroom house? Because your party doesn’t believe in equality. Ask yourself why your grandfather didn’t know how to read? It’s because your party actually defunds education. Ask yourself why it is that you went to failing schools? It’s because your party doesn’t value education, especially for black youths, especially for people in the south. So the fact that Tim Scott tried to make it an individual conversation when it should be a larger, institutional problem that his party is part of and one of the main reasons why we have such inequity explains why this Uncle Tim hashtag was trending and explains the frustration also that many Democratic Christians had where he’s trying to weaponize Christianity in a way lots of democratic Christians are like what are you talking about? Like, we can actually believe in, you know, Christ or whatever the indoctrination is without actually having policies that — that destroy not just our country, but so many people across the — across the globe. 

Cobb later piled on by suggesting Scott doesn’t think white supremacy has been a deadly problem in the United States because of his “astounding,” “embarrassing,” and “indefensible” comments about “woke supremacy.”

Pointing to how he’s “lost track of how many black people have been killed…this month” by police, Cobb lashed out at Scott for his refusal to state his hatred for America.

He also said what he believed Scott should have said, which was that “yes, this is a racist country” because “every single major institution” (and thus ostensibly every non-BIPOC born) exists to keep African-Americans down.

Cobb added with his thesis, which was that Scott’s refusal to say America’s racist has signaled that doesn’t actually “know what racism is.”

Johnson was wound up to offer a hot take of his own, insisting that the white transportation secretary from Indiana knows racism better than Scott: “When Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg can say we literally have racism baked into our highway system, I really don’t think Tim Scott is in much of a position to criticize him.”

After a portion dismissing Scott’s ideas on police reform as proof he doesn’t want to stop Black deaths at the hands of police, Johnson wrapped with Greer by sharing laugh over Greer’s delusion that she has “no idea what’s in the heart of Tim Scott” in terms of his commitment to police reform and the Black community (as well as more racist dismissals) (click “expand”):

JOHNSON: I have difficulty believing a guy who can on one hand say I’m tired of being pulled over by the police, I’m worried about it, is going to be serious when it comes to police reform. 

GREER: Right. I have no idea what’s in the heart of Tim Scott, just to put that out there. [JOHNSON LAUGHS] But let’s be clear. That entire party is being held hostage by Donald Trump because none of them can plan for their future in 2024 until the former President decides whether he wants to get off the sidelines or not. I think also Tim Scott is their poster boy. Here’s their one. So if they’re going to talk about a racial issue, he’s the one. Give it to Mikey. Put him out front. Let him talk about policing and cops and whatever it may be. And so — and he’s willing to do that. He’s always been willing to do that —

JOHNSON: Right.

GREER: — and that’s how and why he’s the one who gave the rebuttal. 

MSNBC’s repugnant disdain for Scott being a Republican was made possible thanks to the endorsement of advertisers such as Amazon Prime Video, Farmer’s Insurance, and Sketchers. Follow the links to the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.