Anchor Nicolle Wallace claimed that President Trump had actively called for the extermination of Latinos in the United States on a Monday night episode of Deadline: White House on MSNBC. Wallace was commenting on the shooting deaths of 22 people in El Paso, Texas on Saturday, which were tied to a manifesto that made racist and hateful remarks about a “Latino invasion” in Texas. Several of the victims were Mexican nationals.
Responding to an assertion by her guest, NBC News host Paul Reyes, that Trump’s language and rhetoric could inspire radical, violent individuals to target minorities, Wallace implied that Trump was actively calling for the slaying of Latinos.
“President Obama used the power of the presidency to try to pass comprehensive immigration reform, with the Latino community, Latino leaders, at the table. You now have a president, as you said, talking about exterminating Latinos,” Wallace said to Reyes.
In the wake of significant criticism, she later tweeted that she had was mistaken to claim that the sitting president was advocating for the genocide of Latinos, but stopped short of retracting her statement entirely.
“I misspoke about Trump calling for an extermination of Latinos. My mistake was unintentional and I’m sorry. Trump’s constant assault on people of color and his use of the word ‘invasion’ to describe the flow of immigrants is intentional and constant,” Wallace tweeted on Tuesday.
I misspoke about Trump calling for an extermination of Latinos. My mistake was unintentional and I’m sorry. Trump’s constant assault on people of color and his use of the word “invasion” to describe the flow of immigrants is intentional and constant.
— Nicolle Wallace (@NicolleDWallace) August 7, 2019
Wallace, 47, who formerly worked as White House communications director for George W. Bush, has been outspoken in her criticism of Trump’s immigration policies and many other of the president’s positions and comments. She formerly separated from the Republican Party in 2016.
Some found Wallace’s retraction to her original statement to be short of sincere and did not fully grasp the weight of her accusation. “One apology down, only about 10,000 more to go Nicolle! Your network has been painting the President as the reincarnation of Hitler for years now. Only a person with no soul could continue to work there,” one tweet said.
One apology down, only about 10,000 more to go Nicolle! Your network has been painting the President as the reincarnation of Hitler for years now. Only a person with no soul could continue to work there.
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) August 7, 2019
As far as apologies go, I’m afraid I’m going to have to give you an F for this.
— derek schwartz (@derek_mafs) August 7, 2019
I’m not a Trump fan or Trump voter, but seriously, WTF is wrong with you? How do you make an “unintentional mistake” of saying that someone is calling for genocide? You should never speak as a pundit or analyst again. Never never ever.
— Ross Kaminsky (@Rossputin) August 7, 2019
