Brian Williams Slammed for Describing Images of Airstrikes Against Syria as ‘Beautiful’ (Video)

“I am tempted to quote the great Leonard Cohen: ‘I am guided by the beauty of our weapons,'” Williams says

MSNBC’s Brian Williams was trending on Twitter early Friday after he used the word “beautiful” to describe images and videos of the U.S. military airstrike on Syria.

“We see these beautiful pictures at night from the decks of these two US Navy vessels in the eastern Mediterranean,” Williams told his viewers on “The 11th Hour.”

“I am tempted to quote the great Leonard Cohen: ‘I am guided by the beauty of our weapons,’” he added. “They are beautiful pictures of fearsome armaments making what is for them a brief flight over to this airfield.”

Williams was quoting Cohen’s 1987 song “First We Take Manhattan,” which the singer had described as a response to terrorism in 1988.

People were quick to comment on Williams’ remarks, calling him a “jacka—” and “effing d—–bag.”

“MSNBC Brian Williams called the missile launch “Beautiful”. People are dead. This ain’t 4th of July Jacka–!!” tweeted one user.

“Jesus Christ — Brian Williams: “I’m guided by the beauty of our weapons” – You can support airstrike without glamorizing it,” tweeted another.

Williams made his return to cable news in September 2015 after a six-month suspension over fabrications he perpetuated about his reporting experience during the Iraq War. The former host of “NBC Nightly News” has been toiling at MSNBC’s breaking news desk ever since.

According to U.S. officials, up to 50 Tomahawk missiles were launched from the USS Porter and the USS Ross, against a Syrian Air Force base in response to devastating chemical attacks against the country’s civilians that have been attributed to Syrian President Basjar Assad.

The missiles targeted an air base near the central Syrian village of Shayrat.

Representatives for Williams declined to comment.

See reactions below and watch the video above.

https://twitter.com/VegasMrEd/status/850211095956430848

https://twitter.com/lukeoneil47/status/850181831530078208

https://twitter.com/MichaelPnano/status/850195211733086208

https://twitter.com/XEECEEVEVO/status/850349439394791424

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