MSNBC host Chris Matthews’ decision to inexplicably compare President Donald Trump’s executive privilege to losing one’s virginity prompted the network to force him to apologize Wednesday night.
MSNBC host likens executive privilege to losing virginityhttps://t.co/psyMC4GW4M
— Paul Kent (@kentpg) May 2, 2019
The “Hardball” host was holding forth on Attorney General William Barr’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee and interviewing Democratic 2020 presidential candidate Kamala Harris when he made the remark.
Harris appeared to be shocked by the reference. Matthews made the analogy while he was talking about Barr’s reference to executive privilege and how the president could use it to prevent White House counsel Don McGahn from testifying before Congress.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr testifies before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing … REUTERS/Erin Scott
“I guess the question is once he’s testified before Mr. Mueller’s special counsel investigation, how can he now say I won’t make the same testimony in public claiming executive privilege. I think it is sort of like virginity, kinda,” Matthews said.
Harris didn’t see it, replying, “I’m not going to go with you on that metaphor, Chris.” (RELATED: Kamala Harris Vows To End Right-To-Work Laws)
Apparently, the network didn’t see it either and Matthews was back with an apology minutes later, explaining that this wasn’t the first time his employers had hit the roof over their nighttime host’s choice of words.
Chris Matthews talks about Attorney General William Barr on “Hardball,” May 1, 2019. YouTube screenshot.
“I’m sorry about that metaphor I used before. I’ve been admonished already about it. So I really shouldn’t have used it in this context, however,” he said. (RELATED: Chris Matthews Asks Congressman If He Can ‘Watch’ Them Arrested Trump Admin Officials)
Matthew praised Harris for grilling Barr “in a dramatic exchange” during his testimony earlier that day and approvingly quoted the Washington Post for alleging that the attorney general may have “distorted, even undermined” former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report.
He also said Barr “came across as a criminal lawyer defending the president rather than the country’s chief law enforcement official.”