NBC News’ Chuck Todd Under Fire for Quoting Article Comparing Sanders Supporters to Nazi ‘Brownshirts’

#FireChuckTodd trended on Twitter after the anchor quoted a conservative columnist on air

Chuck Todd on Meet the Press
NBC

NBC News’ Chuck Todd came under fire for reading aloud from a column that compared supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders to Nazi “brownshirts” Monday, causing #FireChuckTodd to trend on Twitter.

The “Meet the Press” moderator explained that he’s received harsh treatment from supporters of Sanders’ presidential run, then read out loud from Jonathan V. Last’s recent piece about “Bernie Bros” at conservative site The Bulwark.

Todd read, “Here’s what he says: ‘No other candidate has anything like this sort of digital brownshirt brigade. I mean, except for Donald Trump. The question no one is asking is this: What if you can’t win the presidency without an online mob?’”

“Brownshirts” were the nickname given to members of the Nazi troops who used intimidation and violence against Jews leading up to World War II. The term came from the color of their uniform. Sanders is Jewish.

Todd interviewed Sanders Sunday for his weekly “Meet the Press” show, covering the candidate’s recent health issues and looking ahead to Tuesday night’s New Hampshire primary.

Artist Eli Valley was among those to react online, writing, “Last year @chucktodd admonished @AOC for accurately calling the concentration camps on our border ‘concentration camps.’ Now he’s quoting someone comparing Bernie supporters to Nazis. Feels like a dangerous time to be so misinformed about Holocaust history.”

“Is Chuck Todd out of his goddamn mind,” tweeted “The Young Turks” host John Iadarola. Added journalist Aaron Mate, “In addition to #FireChuckTodd — #WhyDidYouHireChuckTodd?”

Representatives for NBC News, the Bulwark and the Sanders campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap about the blowback faced by Todd for reading The Bulwark aloud on-air.

Watch Todd quote Last below:

https://twitter.com/OrganizingPower/status/1227000683074854912

Comments