MSNBCās Chris Matthews is walking back his remarks made about Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) after his Nazi analogy to the 2020 Democratic presidential hopefulās win in the Nevada caucuses.
Matthews compared over the weekend on-air Sandersā win to the fall of France in 1940:
āI was reading last night about the fall of France in the summer of 1940, and the general, Renault, calls up Churchill and says, āItās over.ā And Churchill says, āHow can it be? Youāve got the greatest army in Europe. How can it be over?ā He said, āItās over.ā So I had that suppressed feeling, I canāt be as wild as Carville, but he is damn smart, but I think heās damn right on this one.ā
Sandersā campaign communication director responded to the remarks, tweeting, āNever thought part of my job would be pleading with a national news network to stop likening the campaign of a jewish presidential candidate whose family was wiped out by the nazis to the third reich. but here we are.ā
In case you missed it:
On Monday evening, Matthews offered an apology on his show for his recent comments.
āBefore getting into tonightās news, I want to say something quite important and personal,ā Matthews said, adding, āAs I watched the one-sided results of Saturdayās Democratic caucus in Nevada, I reached for a historical analogy ā and used a bad one. I was wrong to refer to an event from the first days of World War II.ā
Matthews continued to then offer the Vermont senator a personal apology:
āSenator Sanders, Iām sorry for comparing anything from that tragic era in which so many suffered, especially the Jewish people, to an electorate result in which you were the well-deserved winner. This is going to be a hard-fought, heated campaign of ideas.ā
Watch the video below:
āIn the days and weeks and months ahead, I will strive to do a better job myself of elevating the political discussion,ā he added. āCongratulations, by the way, to you Senator Sanders and to your supporters on a tremendous win down in Nevada.ā
Sanders came out with the victory in the Nevada caucuses over the weekend, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden then former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg. As of polls dated through Feb. 22, Sanders is in the lead nationally among the Democratic contenders.
