On Wednesday night, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes did something that virtually no other left-leaning pundit has: He covered the accusations of sexual assault against Joe Biden.
Needless to say, Hayes’ decision to take seriously the allegations made by Tara Reade against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee did not sit well with his liberal audience.
“#FireChrisHayes”
By Thursday morning, “#FireChrisHayes” was trending on Twitter, with such calls coming from the same “resistance” accounts that were no doubt at the online forefront of “#MeToo” just a few years ago.
“You all must know if we all stop watching he’ll go away, right? We have the power,” tweeted “RidinWithBiden.”
https://twitter.com/ManMet80/status/1255786684274413568
Another probable Democrat tweeter comparing Hayes to Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, “What Chris Hayes did today is no different than what Tucker Carlson does everyday. He gave credibility to a bulls*** story with no legs to stand on. This is ‘but her emails’ all over again.”
What Chris Hayes did today is no different than what Tucker Carlson does everyday. He gave credibility to a bullshit story with no legs to stand on.
This is “but her emails” all over again.
— Santiago Mayer (@santiagomayer_) April 30, 2020
Hayes is a Thorough Liberal
Hayes is one of President Trump’s harshest media critics. He is a thorough progressive who decided to retain his integrity and cover Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegations just as he did those against then-candidate Donald Trump.
He deserves praise for being one of the few on the left to take these allegations seriously. Violence against women should be more important than partisanship.
And there were plenty of folks eager to call out the left for their hypocrisy on this subject.
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Conservatives and a Few Progressives Call Out the Left’s Hypocrisy
“Chris Hayes is trending on Twitter because Biden supporters are outraged that he reported Tara Reade’s sexual assault claims,” tweeted conservative columnist Tim Young. “**flips through rulebook** I thought we were supposed to believe all women and MSNBC never lies… Gonna a have to update those rules.”
Chris Hayes is trending on Twitter because Biden supporters are outraged that he reported Tara Reade's sexual assault claims.
**flips through rulebook** I thought we were supposed to believe all women and MSNBC never lies… Gonna a have to update those rules.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) April 30, 2020
Trump supporter Melissa A. wrote, “Chris Hayes is getting pounded by Democrats for making the mortal mistake of covering Tara Reade’s sexual assault accusations against Biden. Chris didn’t get the memo that he is only supposed to ‘pretend to care’ about women being abused when it serves Dems’ quest for power.”
https://twitter.com/TheRightMelissa/status/1255702243711614982
California Republican congressional candidate Errol Webber said, “Chris Hayes of MSNBC is getting harassed by his own party for covering the sexual abuse allegations against Joe Biden. The Democrats claim to be the ‘party of women,’ but they are calling for the FIRING of a journalist simply for mentioning the Tara Reade story.”
“Hypocritical?” he added.
Chris Hayes of MSNBC is getting harassed by his own party for covering the sexual abuse allegations against Joe Biden.
The Democrats claim to be the "party of women", but they are calling for the FIRING of a journalist simply for mentioning the Tara Reade story.
Hypocritical?
— Errol Webber (@ErrolWebber) April 30, 2020
Progressive journalist Glenn Greenwald called out not only the left but MSNBC for creating this kind of irrational groupthink.
“Chris Hayes has been one of the media’s most virulent, relentless & arguably effective Trump critics — an all-consuming loathing for the President — but #FireChrisHayes was trending because he covered the sex assault allegations against Biden,” Greenwald tweeted.
“Shows what MSNBC has cultivated” he finished.
Chris Hayes has been one of the media's most virulent, relentless & arguably effective Trump critics — an all-consuming loathing for the President — but #FireChrisHayes was trending because he covered the sex assault allegations against Biden.
Shows what MSNBC has cultivated.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 30, 2020
Progressive journalist Emma Vigeland of The Young Turks wrote, “I am consistently impressed with @chrislhayes’ willingness to do what is right and buck the undoubtably weighty influence of network television. It’s not close — he is *the* best host working within a system that doesn’t necessarily incentivize his instinctive truth telling.”
I am consistently impressed with @chrislhayes' willingness to do what is right and buck the undoubtably weighty influence of network television.
It’s not close — he is *the* best host working within a system that doesn’t necessarily incentivize his instinctive truth telling. https://t.co/EPRZkRIko4
— Emma Vigeland (@EmmaVigeland) April 30, 2020
But praise from liberals for Hayes’ report was few and far between. Most on the left overwhelmingly blasted him for daring to take violence against women seriously, even when a prominent Democrat is in the crosshairs.
‘He is only supposed to care about women when they accuse Republicans’
Christian conservative Camine Sabia also summed up this episode well.
“MSNBC viewers want to #FireChrisHayes because Chris Hayes had the audacity to cover the legit story of sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden. @ChrisLHayes did not get the memo that he is only supposed to care about women when they accuse Republicans.”
MSNBC viewers want to #FireChrisHayes because Chris Hayes had the audacity to cover the legit story of sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden. @ChrisLHayes did not get the memo that he is only supposed to care about women when they accuse Republicans. https://t.co/UnnURzbmfU
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) April 30, 2020
The New Double Standard
At this point, most Democrats have no right to promote “Believe All Women” ever again.
Unless the change it to “Believe All Women (Who Accuse Republicans).” By their logic, it doesn’t matter if Democrats can get away with sexual assault.
If that sounds extreme, perhaps ask Chris Hayes about it.