Video: Hypocrites at MSNBC Called Bush a Monkey, Used Word 4 Times in 25 Seconds
The liberal media erupted with the fakest of faux outrage on Wednesday in response to the use of a common idiom in an interview by Republican Florida gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis, speaking about the socialist policies espoused by his Democrat opponent — Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum — noted the economic progress made by the state in recent years and urged voters to not “monkey this up” by electing a socialist who would raise taxes and depress the economic growth.
The media swiftly rushed to Gillum’s defense, and since he is black they immediately began to recite from the same talking points and labeled DeSantis’ remark as a racist “dogwhistle” — many similarly suggested it was a “bull horn,” suggesting the existence of distributed key talking points — connecting the word “monkey” to Gillum in a racial manner not at all intended by DeSantis, who wasn’t even directly referring to the candidate when he used the word.
But if the use of the word “monkey” to describe a person is unacceptable, then there are a few hypocritical folks at CNN and MSNBC who ought to be ashamed of themselves and should issue a public apology.
CNN's Erin Burnett called President Bush a "monkey" in 2007 while she was at CNBC.
She then tried to deflect, suggesting she was talking about Angela Merkel. pic.twitter.com/SHHr78jS7A
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 30, 2018
In a 2007 clip from MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, Erin Burnett — then a contributor for CNBC who is now at CNN — and the “Morning Joe” crew used the word “monkey” to describe and disparage former President George W. Bush on no less than four occasions within the span of a brief moment.
While discussing the latest news to emerge from a gathering of international leaders as video of the leaders walking together was shown, Burnett referenced then-French President Nicholas Sarkozy — who was seen walking next to Bush — and said, “Who could not have a man-crush on that man, and I’m not talking about the monkey either, I’m talking about the other one.”
The other co-hosts muttered among themselves, “Monkey? Who’s the monkey? What’s she talking about?”
Burnett replied with a giggle, “Monkey in the middle.” The phrase “monkey in the middle” originated from a variation of the “keep away” game in which two players attempt to keep a ball or object away from a third player in the middle — the monkey — but can also be used to refer to a neutral individual caught between two sides of arguing friends.
As the other co-hosts continued to sarcastically wonder who Burnett was referring to with the use of the word “monkey,” she ludicrously deflected by suggesting it was them who were referring to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as a “monkey.”
Host Joe Scarborough then joked that Burnett was suffering from jet lag and needed to take some Ambien — a highly addictive sleep aid with dangerous side effects — and Tylenol PM, another sleep aid, to “sleep it off,” a joke that wouldn’t go over quite as well these days.
Obviously, Burnett was not making any sort of racial reference when she used the common idiom “monkey in the middle” to describe and disparage Bush.
Similarly, DeSantis was not making any sort of racial reference either when he urged Florida voters to not “monkey this up” — or foolishly play around and mess up a good thing — in regard to November’s election and the state’s economic growth and sustainability.
To be sure, the word “monkey” and iterations of that word have been used in the past as a racial slur, and if DeSantis had stupidly used the word in direct reference to Gillum, Democrats and the hypocritical media might have a leg to stand on in their absurdly self-righteous sanctimony.
But anyone who actually listened to what DeSantis had said, or read the whole quote of what he said — not just the out-of-context misquotes by the biased media — they would know that DeSantis meant nothing racial by his remark and wasn’t even directly referring to his opponent.
Furthermore, if it’s not OK to refer to a black person as a “monkey” — and we’ve been told by the media repeatedly that we shouldn’t dehumanize people by comparing them to “animals” — then why was it OK for Burnett and the co-hosts of “Morning Joe” to refer to Bush as a “monkey”?
Alas, this is but the latest example of the hypocritical media’s double standards, but we won’t let those stand without be called out anymore.
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