Chris Matthews was noticeably missing from MSNBC’s coverage of the South Carolina primary on Saturday, just a day after the longtime anchor of “Fastball” was accused of “sexist” behavior by a former network contributor.
Matthews is a regular on every election night, offering his high octane take on the goings on. That made his absence Saturday night all the more glaring.
In a GQ piece Friday headlined, “Like Warren, I Had My Own Sexist Run-In with Chris Matthews,” journalist Laura Bassett claimed that Matthews had used sexist language several times when she appeared on his show as a guest.
Matthews had pressed Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) after the Democrats’ latest debate on Tuesday about why she harangued former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg over accusations of sexist behavior in his past, including a charge that he once told a pregnant employee to “kill it.”
“Why would he lie?” Matthews said of Bloomberg’s denial. “Because just to protect himself?”
“You believe he’s lying,” Matthews told Warren. When Warren said she believed the woman, Matthews asked why Bloomberg would lie.
Warren responded: “Yeah, and why would she lie? I mean, that’s the question, Chris.”
Basset wrote that Matthews had sexually harassed her in 2016, saying, “Why haven’t I fallen in love with you yet?” while she was getting her makeup done for an appearance,
The number of on-air incidents is long, exhausting, and creepy, including commenting to Erin Burnett, for example, “You’re a knockout… it’s all right getting bad news from you,” while telling her to move closer to the camera. Behind the scenes, one of Matthews’s former producers told The Daily Caller in 2017 that he allegedly rated his female guests on a numerical scale and would name a “hottest of the week,” like a “teenage boy.” In 1999, an assistant producer accused Matthews of sexual harassment, which CNBC, the show’s network at the time, investigated. They concluded that the comments were “inappropriate,” and Matthews received a “stern reprimand,” according to an MSNBC spokesperson.
This tendency to objectify women in his orbit has bled into his treatment of female politicians and candidates. He has repeatedly lusted over women in politics on air, including remarking in 2011 that there’s “something electric” and “very attractive” about the way former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin walks and moves, and noting in 2017 that acting attorney general Sally Yates is “attractive, obviously.” But he has reserved a particular contempt for the woman who made it closest to ascending the heights of American political power, Hillary Clinton, calling her “witchy,” “anti-male,” and “She-Devil.”
The Cut obtained footage of him joking in early 2016, just before a live interview with then candidate Clinton, “where’s that Bill Cosby pill,” referring to the date-rape drug. In 2005, he openly wondered whether the troops would “take the orders” from a female president; after another interview, he pinched Clinton’s cheek; and in another, he suggested that she had only had so much political success because her husband had “messed around.” This evening anchor, in addition to everything else, has repeatedly challenged whether women are legitimate politicians or could be president at all. “I was thinking how hard it is for a woman to take on a job that’s always been held by men,” he said of Clinton in 2006.
Matthews’ disappearing act comes as MSNBC faces calls from a feminist organization to fire the anchor over the sexism and sexual misconduct allegations.
“MSNBC needs to fire Chris Matthews. Today,” UltraViolet President Shaunna Thomas said in a statement, which she posted on Twitter. “Matthews’ refusal to believe women, and history of sexual harassment, make it clear that he is not fit to continue to cover this election. MSNBC can and must do better, and they can start by firing Chris Matthews.”
Matthews has had a bad run lately. He was blasted after he said Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) decisive victory in Nevada last weekend was like the Nazi invasion of France during World War II. He later apologized for the remark.
On Friday, Matthews mistook South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Jaime Harrison for another black politician, Tim Scott (R-SC), Fox News reported.
“Jaime, I see you standing next to the guy you’re going to beat right there, maybe,” he said. “Maybe? Maybe, maybe? Lindsey Graham?”
Soon Matthews realized his error and apologized to Harrison.
“What am I saying? Big mistake. Mistaken identity, sir. Sorry,” Matthews said.
Harrison appeared to roll his eyes and looked shocked, but kept a smile on his face and answered Matthews’ question.