MSNBC host Chris Matthews is facing backlash on social media after he launched into a heated rant about socialism and appeared to suggest a Bernie Sanders presidency could somehow lead to mass executions in the streets.
During a post-debate special Friday evening, Matthews said his personal views on socialism go back “to the early 1950s” before drawing comparisons between Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and former leader of Cuba Fidel Castro.
“I believe if Castro and the Reds had won the Cold War there would have been executions in Central Park and I might have been one of the ones getting executed — and certain other people would be there cheering.”
Matthews then told viewers he doesn't really know what Sanders means when he talks about socialism.
The MSNBC host even seemed to mock Sanders' accent when he said perhaps the Vermont senator wants America to "be like Denmark,” which apparently isn’t too bad: "Okay, that's harmless, that's basically a capitalist country with a lot of good social welfare programs. Denmark is harmless,” Matthews said.
At that point, fellow MSNBC host Chris Hayes interjected to say Sanders' platform puts him "pretty clearly in the Denmark category" of socialism. “Is he?” Matthews shot back in a skeptical tone, adding: "How do you know? Did he tell you that?"
"I mean, that's what he says and that's what his agenda calls for,” Hayes responded.
Sanders has defined himself as a ‘democratic socialist’ and repeatedly explained that he believes in a ‘Scandinavian’ style socialism, which evidently doesn’t involve street executions.
Matthews was having none of it, however, bringing the conversation back around to Castro who he said everyone thought was “great” until he began “shooting every one of his enemies.”
Matthews' exaggerated fears over a Sanders hit squad executing him in Central Park was slammed as the "insane paranoia of the rich" by one tweeter. “Absolutely unhinged,” said another.
Some even suggested the host should be fired, suspended or at least forced to apologize for the "slander" against Sanders and the misrepresentation of his views.
Meanwhile, progressive activist Shaun King wrote that the tirade was “one of the single most ignorant moments I've ever seen on MSNBC,” while leftist writer Luke Savage called Matthews’ rant “one of the most psychotic tantrums I've ever witnessed on cable news.”
www.rt.com
During a post-debate special Friday evening, Matthews said his personal views on socialism go back “to the early 1950s” before drawing comparisons between Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and former leader of Cuba Fidel Castro.
“I believe if Castro and the Reds had won the Cold War there would have been executions in Central Park and I might have been one of the ones getting executed — and certain other people would be there cheering.”
Matthews then told viewers he doesn't really know what Sanders means when he talks about socialism.
The MSNBC host even seemed to mock Sanders' accent when he said perhaps the Vermont senator wants America to "be like Denmark,” which apparently isn’t too bad: "Okay, that's harmless, that's basically a capitalist country with a lot of good social welfare programs. Denmark is harmless,” Matthews said.
At that point, fellow MSNBC host Chris Hayes interjected to say Sanders' platform puts him "pretty clearly in the Denmark category" of socialism. “Is he?” Matthews shot back in a skeptical tone, adding: "How do you know? Did he tell you that?"
"I mean, that's what he says and that's what his agenda calls for,” Hayes responded.
Sanders has defined himself as a ‘democratic socialist’ and repeatedly explained that he believes in a ‘Scandinavian’ style socialism, which evidently doesn’t involve street executions.
Matthews was having none of it, however, bringing the conversation back around to Castro who he said everyone thought was “great” until he began “shooting every one of his enemies.”
Matthews' exaggerated fears over a Sanders hit squad executing him in Central Park was slammed as the "insane paranoia of the rich" by one tweeter. “Absolutely unhinged,” said another.
Some even suggested the host should be fired, suspended or at least forced to apologize for the "slander" against Sanders and the misrepresentation of his views.
Meanwhile, progressive activist Shaun King wrote that the tirade was “one of the single most ignorant moments I've ever seen on MSNBC,” while leftist writer Luke Savage called Matthews’ rant “one of the most psychotic tantrums I've ever witnessed on cable news.”
‘Unhinged’: MSNBC host Chris Matthews goes on bizarre rant about mass executions & ‘the Reds’ while discussing Bernie Sanders
MSNBC host Chris Matthews is facing backlash on social media after he launched into a heated rant about socialism and appeared to suggest a Bernie Sanders presidency could somehow lead to mass executions in the streets.
