MSNBC’s political panel, comprised of Jen Psaki, Joy Reid and Rachel Maddow, derided voters who expressed concerns about illegal immigration.
The MSNBC panel touched on the immigration issue amid a discussion of “Super Tuesday” exit poll data.
With President Joe Biden continuing to lose ground in the polls, the commentators discussed “Super Tuesday” results which appear to propel former President Donald Trump ever closer to becoming the GOP presidential nominee.
The panel acknowledged with frustration that illegal immigration has become a major political issue in the run-up to the 2024 election and is likely contributing to President Biden’s drop in the polls.
Psaki said with anger and surprise, “I live in Virginia. Immigration was the No. 1 issue.”
Co-host Joy Reid responded with laughter, indicating that one should not think immigration is a significant issue for our country.
Maddow jumped into the conversation. Agreeing with Reid that illegal immigration should not be viewed as an important issue, Maddow said, “Well, Virginia does have a border with West Virginia, a — very contested area.”
Maddow’s attempt to minimize the danger of having an open southern border by comparing it to the border separating Virginia and West Virginia drew laughter from her co-hosts.
Over the laughter, Maddow said of Psaki’s home state of Virginia, “Maybe you should build a wall.”
Reid said disparagingly of people of color: “They don’t vote based on economics, or based on the benefits they’re getting economically from the president. They are voting on race; they are voting on this idea of an invasion of brown people over the border, the idea that they can’t get the job they want.”
Without substantiating her claims, Reid then claimed that Republicans want to “drive all the black out of the colleges” and “get rid of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies,” according to the Post.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki nodded her agreement as Reid concluded: “They’re just voting specifically on racial animus at this stage. It isn’t about economics.”
The political news panel shared their comments as recent reports of illegal immigrants assaulting police in New York, raping a 14-year-old girl in Texas, and murdering a 22-year-old nursing student in Georgia top headlines.
Recent polling shows that concern about illegal immigration has risen almost 10% since January — making it the #1 political issue as Americans prepare for the 2024 election.
