MSNBC host Joy Reid was accused of Islamophobia after she asked whether President Trump was acting similar to leaders “in the Muslim world” and radicalizing his supporters.
Reid asked her guests during Monday’s episode of The Reid Out if they believe Trump was acting the “way Muslims act” and radicalizing his supporters after he refused to condemn the 17-year-old who allegedly killed two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“When leaders — let’s say in the Muslim world — talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence, including on their own bodies, in order to win against whoever they decide is the enemy, we in the U.S. media describe that as they are radicalizing these people, particularly when they’re radicalizing young people,” Reid said.
“That’s how we talk about the way Muslims act. When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalizing people?” she asked.
Naveed Jamali, an editor-at-large for Newsweek, agreed and said he did not believe the two scenarios were that different.
A clip of the moment went viral on Twitter, with many users questioning Reid’s comparison and calling it Islamophobic.
“Joy-ann reid just compared radicalized trump supporters to ‘the way muslims act.'” one user tweeted. “This is islamophobia, she should apologize immediately.”
“Whoa. Joy Ann Reid says that ‘Muslim leaders…talk a lot of violent talk & encourage their supporters…to commit violence’ and goes on to compare ‘the way Muslims act’ to Trump and his supporters. What a terrible, dangerous, & completely inaccurate analogy to make,” tweeted Rowaida Abdelaziz, a reporter who focuses on Islamophobia for the Huffington Post.
joy-ann reid just compared radicalized trump supporters to “the way muslims act”
this is islamophobia, she should apologize immediately. pic.twitter.com/2geymhcBOr
— Bes? (@besf0rt) September 1, 2020
Whoa. Joy Ann Reid says that “Muslim leaders…talk a lot of violent talk & encourage their supporters…to commit violence” and goes on to compare “the way Muslims act” to Trump and his supporters.
What a terrible, dangerous, & completely inaccurate analogy to make. https://t.co/Q0qtBrJtKY
— Rowaida Abdelaziz (@Rowaida_Abdel) September 1, 2020
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who was one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, also condemned Reid’s statements.
“Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous. We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming,” Omar tweeted.
Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous.
We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming. https://t.co/megnZyL9dd
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 1, 2020
The Washington Examiner has reached out to MSNBC for comment.
Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who has been arrested in connection to the shooting in Kenosha, was part of an armed counterprotest during the riots. Trump refused to condemn Rittenhouse during a press conference on Monday, saying that the teenager might have acted in self-defense.
“He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like. And he fell, and then, they very violently attacked him,” Trump said. “I guess he was in very big trouble. He probably would have been killed. It’s under investigation.”
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden also condemned Trump for his remarks on Rittenhouse and said he believes the president is “too weak” to condemn the violence.
