Chris Matthews, host of “Hardball” on MSNBC, tied tea party-type Republicans to white supremacists, saying GOPers like Reps. Louie Gohmert and Ted Yoho aren’t “that far” from possessing the same mentality as ex-KKK head David Duke.
He made the remarks in context of discussing the fate of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who’s been slammed in the press and by politicos for reportedly speaking at an event 12-plus years ago put on by an organization tied to Mr. Duke, a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan.
“How do you think Louie Gohmert feels toward David Duke? How do we know? What do you think of Yoho and that crowd? These guys believe [President Obama] was somehow an illegal immigrant from Africa because they can’t stand the fact that he’s an African-American president,” Mr. Matthews said, Newsmax reported. “Let’s be honest about it — they’re not that far from the crowd they refuse to associate with.”
Mr. Matthews also asked former Republican National Committee head Michael Steele how the party should go forth with a member who had ties to neo-Nazism — and then the “Hardball” host commented that Mr. Scalise “hasn’t denied it, so he’s there.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.