MSNBC Anchor Pushes Back After Colleague Wrongly Scolds Him On-Air Over Immigration

[babylonsister]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/msnbc-anchor-ayman-mohyeldin-defends-himself-after-kelly-odonnell-rebukes-him-on-air-over-immigration?ref=home

MSNBC Anchor Pushes Back After Colleague Wrongly Scolds Him On-Air Over Immigration
“I’m not sure where you’re getting that from,” Kelly O’Donnell said to Mohyeldin after he explained Trump’s anti-immigrant stance. He later took to Twitter to push back.
Justin Baragona
Updated 08.12.19 12:28PM ET / Published 08.12.19 11:59AM ET


MSNBC anchor Ayman Mohyeldin took to Twitter to defend himself minutes after a Monday segment in which his colleague, NBC News White House correspondent Kelly O’Donnell, rebuked him on-air over his description of President Trump’s immigration views.

Prior to introducing O’Donnell during a Monday morning MSNBC segment, Mohyeldin noted that Acting Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli had just announced a new policy to make it harder for low-income immigrants to secure permanent residency in the U.S.

“We know President Trump proposed this update last year, according to our own reporting,” the MSNBC host said to O’Donnell. “According to the former Homeland Security secretary, it’s designed to promote immigrant self-sufficiency to ensure they are not likely to become burdens on American taxpayers.”

“We know the president has always had a preference for immigrants from Nordic countries,” Mohyeldin added. “He’s made that very clear as opposed to other more disadvantaged countries. Walk us through the impact on these immigrants. Why now?”

While Mohyeldin was referencing President Trump’s infamous “shithole countries” remarks to lawmakers last year in which the president reportedly suggested America should bring in more immigrants from Norway, O’Donnell immediately pushed back on the anchor’s interpretation of Trump’s position.

“I don’t know that the president has expressed a preference for Nordic countries,” she replied. “That is something where I’m not sure where you’re getting that from. He certainly said he has an emphasis on merit-based immigration. And he has talked about that extensively. So that matches up to his rhetoric.”

Mohyeldin, meanwhile, didn’t offer a retort or explanation during the segment, instead moving on to Cuccinelli’s press briefing. He did, however, respond on Twitter moments later. After Tom Colicchio tweeted that Mohyeldin was correct, the MSNBC anchor thanked the celebrity chef while seemingly tossing a little shade at his colleague.

“There have been so many disparaging comments made about immigrants by this President, it’s understandable why this would have been forgotten,” Mohyeldin tweeted

.

snip//

O’Donnell later found herself on the receiving end of online criticism for seeming to pretend she didn’t know why Mohyeldin referenced Nordic countries. Esquire’s Charles Pierce linked to NBC reporting on Trump’s “shithole” quote, noting that O’Donnell’s “own network is here to help.”

[Midnightwalk]

1. Real time is the only time

The media likes controversy.

They could do fact checking real time, have the video or tweet ready to display in less than 30 seconds and then go back and say it was a lie.

Just like instant replay and review in sports

Why don’t they?

Returning to the point or staying on it would take some stage craft but they could spend money on managing that for far less than other bs.

Anchors, pundits and politicians would get mad and not return or leave. That’s a big part of it but they could play up the controversy and get a quick rating boost.

Maybe it’s because fighting back against thenlies would actually cut back on the lying and the controversy long term. The people who own the media don’t want reality based reporting.

Any other ideas?

[sandensea]

9. +1

That's Big Media in a nutshell.

Cowardice, and veiled (and not-so veiled) right-wing bias on parade.

[oldsoftie]

11. One reason is, shows like this the producer is in everyones ear counting down,

and they already know the next voice to be heard. A bigger name like Maddow or Matthews would have probably made the comment regardless of the count out of the producer.

[Midnightwalk]

14. Interesting point

That sounds right and I hadn’t thought about scheduling and timing as a reason but l think it isn’t a good reason.

It is not as if the news covers a fraction of what it used to. The next opinion almost adds no information to whatever is being covered.

It is also not as if people telling outright lies or repeating them is a rare occurrence.

They could structure the programming and scheduling to accommodate making sure the news wasn’t helping to spread the lies.

But they don’t and they won’t. My conclusion is that relating facts is not a priority.

I hope this doesn’t come across badly. I don’t mean it as an attack on your response. My complaint is about tv news.

[Polly Hennessey]

2. We would expect nothing less from Kelly O'Donnell.

The wispy air of Republicanism swirls around her. It always has.

[babylonsister]

3. I do remember her singing McCain's praises,

attending his bbq, etc.

[MojoWrkn]

8. You are so right! Isn't she past her prime? Why don't they get someone like KC to be the WH

correspondent!

[Mike Nelson]

4. Ms. O'Donnell ought to...

... apologize. If it were me, I wouldn't renew her NBC contract... maybe she can take a cut in benefits and switch to FOX?

[brush]

5. She does quite often seem to favor the admin in her coverage.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. merit-based immigration

like our merit-based president?

*cough* *cough*

[iluvtennis]

13. Exactly. Merit based simply means trump admin can "selectively " choose who they want

in my the country.

[triron]

7. Here's wjat I have to say; "Fuck you Kelly".

"Go pull your head out of the 'complicity sand'."

[rockfordfile]

10. Kelly O'Donnell is a racist. She's supporting and lying about trump's racist views

Kelly O’Donnell isn't a reporter, but a right-wing hack.

[OnDoutside]

15. Well said.

[B Stieg]

12. Always the "company line" from O'Donnell

Welker and Hans Nichols, too!

[OnDoutside]

16. A nice Twitter reply

Link to tweet