MSNBC’s Joy Reid is facing backlash for her recent remarks comparing President Donald Trump’s supporters to Muslim extremists as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and other leaders are now demanding an apology.
On Tuesday, Omar took to Twitter with the clip from Reid’s segment as he shared his reaction to her words.
“Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous,” Omar tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. “We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming.”
Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 1, 2020
We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming. https://t.co/megnZyL9dd
Tlaib also weighed in with similar sentiments as she also called for Reid to issue a statement of apology.
She tweeted, “Words matter and these words feed into the harmful anti-Muslim rhetoric [and] actions that we continue to see in this country. It is even more painful to hear it from someone I admire. We deserve an apology.”
Words matter and these words feed into the harmful anti-Muslim rhetoric & actions that we continue to see in this country. It is even more painful to hear it from someone I admire.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 1, 2020
We deserve an apology. https://t.co/Ei1R4FojZJ
Others also shared their reactions as they criticized Reid for her remarks.
This isn’t even subtle. It’s blatant Islamophobia @JoyAnnReid. pic.twitter.com/VoRUo2BH65
— Zahra Billoo (@ZahraBilloo) September 1, 2020
This is appalling.
— Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) September 1, 2020
@JoyAnnReid first just throws out “Muslim leaders” encouraging “their followers” to ‘use their bodies to inflict violence’ (which leaders?). Then compares “how Muslims act” to American white nationalist radicalization. pic.twitter.com/4MwYlRbuBj
The backlash came shortly after Reid’s segment aired. During Tuesday night’s edition of MSNBC’s “The Reidout,” Reid featured a panel of guests who participated in a discussion about the civil unrest erupting in multiple cities.
“Leaders, let’s say in the Muslim world, talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to commit violence… We in the U.S. media describe that as radicalizing people,” Reid said during the segment. “That’s the way we talk about how Muslims act.”
She went on to ask,”When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalizing people?”
MSNBC has not yet released a statement addressing Reid’s remarks.
