MSNBC’s “The Weekend” didn’t hold back in their criticism of Donald Trump’s incendiary remarks at an NRA event, where he openly mused about President Joe Biden deserving the electric chair. Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric accusing Biden of foreign collusion was met with swift condemnation from the show’s hosts and former White House aide Sarah Matthews.
Alicia Menendez wasted no time highlighting the gravity of Trump’s words, deeming them far from ordinary: “A political candidate casually hinting at the execution of a sitting president in front of fervent gun advocates—definitely not normal.”
Former RNC chair Michael Steele didn’t mince words either, questioning the motives behind Trump’s audacious statements.
“Look, okay, so Trump is a liar, well established, we know that. The projection around Biden taking money from Russia and all these places, we know that. But, when you are standing in front of a group like the NRA, when you are standing in front of a group that has very, very strong views about this administration, the Biden administration and Donald Trump for that matter, what is the signaling, from inside the bubble a little bit with Trump, what is the signaling that is going on there? Is it as blatant as making a comment about executing a president or is it something more or something less, is it just Trump standing there running his mouth?”
Sarah Matthews, drawing from her experience in the Trump administration, emphasized Trump’s deliberate pandering to his base, even at the expense of decency. She criticized Trump’s cavalier attitude, noting that he treats it like a joke, but joking about executing a president is beyond the pale, especially before a crowd known for its fervent support.
“I think that Donald Trump knows this audience that would be at a convention for the NRA are people that are a part of his base. And so he’s going to say things like this where it is going to rile them up and get them excited,” Matthews said. “I think he knows that, in his mind, he thinks it is a joke where he’s joking about ‘Oh, he needs the electric chair,’ but you shouldn’t be talking about that with anyone in general, but especially not the sitting president.”
Matthews also underscored the danger of normalizing such rhetoric, warning against the desensitization to Trump’s inflammatory language. “This is not normal,” she asserted. “We cannot allow a presidential candidate to make light of executing a sitting U.S. president.”
Watch the discussion below:
