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Mika Tries To Get 'Morning Joe' Guests To Slam Trump, Gets Sobering Lesson on Meaning of Memorial Day

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Memorial Day is a time for all Americans to put away partisanship and reflect on the sacrifice of the brave men and women who have died wearing the uniform of the United States of America.

It’s a day to come together.

That is, unless you are Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

On Monday, Brzezinski diverted attention from the solemn purpose of Memorial Day and instead attempted to bait her guests into attacking the commander-and-chief, President Donald Trump.

The two guests, “Morning Joe” contributor Mike Barnicle and veterans activist Paul Rieckhoff, were by no-means Trump supporters, but, to their credit, appeared to recognize — and reject — Brzezinski’s tactics.

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Instead of taking the low road, they taught Brzezinski a patriotic lesson she likely won’t soon forget.

First, Brzezinski asked Barnicle a long question about attitudes toward American troops, but threw in a tasteless jab at the end.

Brzezinski asked about members of the military who “are being deployed by this president by, let’s say maybe perhaps, controversial means in terms of their deployments at the southern border for caravans that are coming in. It’s a convoluting time, is it not?”

Barnicle completely ignored Brzezinski’s political bait and responded with great respect for the moment.

Do you think Brzezinski should be ashamed of trying to bait her guests into attacking Trump on Memorial Day?

“Mika, because of my age, my background, my family history, there’s a certain sadness with me about Memorial Day,” Barnicle responded.

“Because you think of the word ‘memorial’ and part of that word incorporates ‘memory,’ he added.

“And with all the tools we have today with Snapchat and Twitter and our smartphones, they’re incredible instruments, but they’ve caused a loss of memory in America — memory about who we are and who we’ve been.”

When the time came to ask Rieckhoff a question, Brzezinski did not appear to have learned her lesson.

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Clearly trying to elicit a Trump-bashing response, she asked him how he feels regarding “the way the military, perhaps, is being used by this presidency.”

“Does it really match their role in history?” she asked.

Like Barnicle, Rieckhoff did not take the bait. And if Brzezinski has any shame at all, she should be embarrassed by her question given the respectful and classy answer.

After politely and very quickly acknowledging the premise of the question (which is taught in Interviewee Etiquette 101) Rieckhoff rose above the typical MSNBC Trump derangement programming protocols and delivered a whopper of an answer.

“Memorial Day still can be a time where we come together in this time where we’re so divided.”

But Rieckhoff didn’t stop there.

“Even if you just take one minute on the moment of silence that’s observed at 3 o’clock local time everywhere in America — just take one minute and reflect on someone that you know that has died.”

“It’s actually an opportunity for us to reinvigorate what patriotism means. There’s an inspiring generation that served overseas. We take inspiration from the ones that came before us, and I think that can be kind of a silver lining in this sadness,” Rieckhoff added.

Regardless of one’s politics, Memorial Day is exactly that — a chance to remember the men and women, the Republicans and Democrats, the black and white, the brothers and sisters, who sacrificed it all for the greatest nation on earth.

Barnicle and Rieckhoff taught us all the right way to remember the importance of Memorial Day.

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G.S. Hair is the former executive editor of The Western Journal.
G.S. Hair is the former executive editor of The Western Journal and vice president of digital content of Liftable Media.

After graduating law school from the Cecil C. Humphries School of Law, Mr. Hair spent a decade as an attorney practicing at the trial and appellate level in Arkansas and Tennessee. He represented clients in civil litigation, contractual disputes, criminal defense and domestic matters. He spent a significant amount of time representing indigent clients who could not afford private counsel in civil or criminal matters. A desire for justice and fairness was a driving force in Mr. Hair's philosophy of representation. Inspired by Christ’s role as an advocate on our behalf before God, he often represented clients who had no one else to fight on their behalf.

Mr. Hair has been a consultant for Republican political candidates and has crafted grassroots campaign strategies to help mobilize voters in staunchly Democrat regions of the Eastern United States.

In early 2015, he began writing for Conservative Tribune. After the site was acquired by Liftable Media, he shut down his law practice, moved to Arizona and transitioned into the position of site director. He then transitioned to vice president of content. In 2018, after Liftable Media folded all its brands into The Western Journal, he was named executive editor. His mission is to advance conservative principles and be a positive and truthful voice in the media.

He is married and has four children. He resides in Phoenix, Arizona.
Birthplace
South Carolina
Education
Homeschooled (and proud of it); B.A. Mississippi College; J.D. University Of Memphis
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Culture, Faith, Politics




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