President Donald Trump supporters heckled MSNBC reporter Vaughn Hillyard ahead of Trump’s event on Tuesday in Phoenix, Arizona.
Hillyard was doing a remote broadcast for “MSNBC Live” with Craig Melvin. Hillyard began by talking about the increase in cases in Arizona, the state’s testing capacity and the fact that a number of people in the crowd were not taking the recommended precautions. Before he had finished speaking, several Trump rally attendees began to yell at him. (RELATED: ‘Shame On You For Saying That!’: Protesters Gang Up On MSNBC Reporter For Calling CHAZ A ‘Street Festival’)
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“I’ve got to tell you, my folks live three miles down the road from here,” Hillyard said, adding that a restaurant owned by a family friend had shut down due to concerns over the virus.
He said the testing capacity in Phoenix was not keeping up with the rise in cases, also noting that Trump was on the way and that many people attending the event were still not following recommended policy suggestions such as wearing masks.
Some of the Trump supporters yelled at Hillyard as he finished speaking, and Melvin asked from the studio why they were not wearing masks.
“Do you mind if I ask you guys, why not wear a mask?” Hillyard asked, turning to the Trump supporters nearby.
“It’s not about the mask,” a woman wearing a red MAGA hat replied. “It’s about the hypocrisy that it’s okay for tens of thousands of people to go and riot, to go and protest, but you cannot have a group of a thousand, I don’t know, how many people are here? This is not okay?”
“Are you concerned about you guys’ own health?” Hillyard pressed.
“Why don’t you cover the protesters and ask why they don’t wear a mask?” another man replied.
“Some of the protesters at those events are wearing masks,” Hillyard responded.
“I’m asking you a question. Why don’t you ask — I’m asking you a question. Why aren’t they wearing a mask?” the man continued. “Why isn’t the liberal news media focusing on them not wearing a mask?”
“Can I ask you, sir, why not you yourself?” Hillyard repeated.
“I’m asking you a question. You didn’t answer my question. Answer my question first,” the man insisted.
“Does it concern you here?” Hillyard asked, changing questions. When the woman in the MAGA hat said that she was not concerned, he then asked, “Why not?”
“Because we’ve had this virus in the States for how long? Do you think you really haven’t come across somebody that hasn’t had it?” she asked.
The segment ends when a man out-of-frame yells, “You talking about that COVID-1984 bulls**t?”