icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
2 Oct, 2020 21:58

MSNBC's Maddow says ‘please pray’ for Trump after Covid test, discovers viciousness of own audience REJECTING call for compassion

MSNBC's Maddow says ‘please pray’ for Trump after Covid test, discovers viciousness of own audience REJECTING call for compassion

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow called for people to “pray” for President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, following their positive Covid-19 tests, only to find her own audience rejecting the surprising sympathy from the TV star.

“God bless the president and the first lady,” Maddow tweeted on Thursday, a surprising statement from the frequent Trump critic who has accused the president of lying about everything from the pandemic to connections to Russia.

"If you pray, please pray for their speedy and complete recovery — and for everyone infected, everywhere. This virus is horrific and merciless — no one would wish its wrath on anyone. We must get its spread under control. Enough,” the MSNBC host added. 

Maddow may have been in the mood to set her typical fiery criticism of Trump to the side, but she quickly found out her audience was not ready to do the same.

“No harbor for fascists,” producer Brett Banditelli responded. 

"Absolutely the hell not," writer and comedian Crissle West added. 

Outspoken liberal actress Minnie Driver, meanwhile, wrote that Trump only deserves “conditional compassion.”

“I am saving my compassion for the families of the 200k+ dead. He deserves conditional compassion, and the poetry of not being passed over,” the ‘Good Will Hunting’ star tweeted. 

Another who responded negatively to Maddow’s posting was Zara Rahim, a former staffer for both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Rahim retweeted a simple “no” to Maddow’s call for empathy and it was part of a string of postings critical of Trump in the wake of his Covid-19 test. In another, she wrote, “It’s been against my moral identity to tweet this for the past four years, but, I hope he dies.”

White House officials have said Trump is suffering only mild symptoms and is “fatigued but in good spirits,” but continues to work in quarantine. 

If you like this story, share it with a friend!

Podcasts
0:00
23:24
0:00
28:16