NBC political director Chuck Todd was excoriated by many for his incendiary rhetoric when he characterized Republicans as using the First Amendment to “appease the white supremacist movement.”
Todd made the comments on his MSNBC show “Meet the Press Daily” Tuesday while speaking to NBC reporter Garrett Haake.
“Look at the way the right [tries] to weaponize the idea that [the Department of Homeland Security] was going to essentially try to attempt to monitor hateful rhetoric. They want to make it seem likes it’s some sort of big brother,” said Todd.
“This is always what the right does to appease the white supremacist movement — by saying, ‘hey, free speech. Don’t touch speech,'” Todd added.
“Right,” Haake replied, “the Ministry of Disinformation they called it.”
He was referring to criticism pointed at the Biden administration from Republicans after it announced the creation of the Disinformation Governance Board headed by Nina Jankowicz within the Department of Homeland Security.
Todd went on to claim that Republicans were permanently tied to white supremacy.
“Well, look, this is sort of the chickens coming home to roost,” Todd continued. “They have been appeasing this wing of the party for years and year and years. And now they are stuck with this group.”
His comments neatly mirrored the often vitriolic denunciations from Democrats and liberals trying to tie the horrendous attack in Buffalo, New York, by a white teenager allegedly motivated by racist animosity. A manifesto allegedly posted by the shooter referenced a conspiracy theory called the Great Replacement.
Some, like Seth Meyers, have tried to pin the blame of the horrific shooting on Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has warned his audience about liberal and elitist efforts to replace white people with minorities. Others, like Megyn Kelly, have criticized efforts to politicize the tragedy in Buffalo to attack Republicans.