Chris Matthews Disses Ted Cruz And Marco Rubio As ‘The Two Cuban Guys’ [Video]
MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews again seemed to play the race card against U.S Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, both of whom are running for president for the Republican party in election 2016.
Reacting to the likelihood (barring a last-minute change of heart) that front-runner Donald Trump won’t be showing up for tonight’s nationally televised GOP debate airing on the Fox News Channel from Des Moines, Iowa, the fast-talking liberal journalist made these dismissive comments on his nightly show Hardball.
“Who’s going to watch a debate between the two Cuban guys? Who’s gonna watch a debate between Rubio, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz? Who cares?…”
Along with many on social media, Alfonso Aguilar, president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, was not pleased with what Chris Matthews had to say, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
“Matthews’ comments are offensive to all Hispanics and especially those of Cuban origin. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are two of the top candidates for the GOP nomination and I’m sure most Americans are very interested in what they have to say, regardless if Trump is on the debate stage. If a Republican politician or a conservative leaning journalist would have made the same statement, the liberal media and Democratic activists would create an uproar and would not stop talking about it. Sadly, most in the media and in liberal advocacy groups have chosen to remain quiet. I guess they are very eager to call conservatives racist, but when the racism comes from the left, they seem quite content to condone it.”
If a Republican had said this… ?#GOPDebate https://t.co/u5mWH2fYJi
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) January 27, 2016
Back in November, Matthews seemed to have a difficult time accepting that both lawmakers are of Hispanic heritage. During a roundtable discussion on MSNBC, another reporter attempted to explain to Matthews, 70, that Cruz will be trying to distinguish himself from Rubio on the subject of illegal immigration. Matthews chimed in with the following insight. “Is [Cruz] trying to insinuate that Marco Rubio, a fellow Spanish surname — I’m not sure the right word is Hispanic for them. Because they are Cuban nationals or whatever, or come from Cuba. But, uh, is he going to insinuate that he’s still basically for what he calls amnesty?”
Chris Matthews: 'Who Is Going to Watch a Debate Between the Two Cuban Guys?' https://t.co/FVuEDgEIXO (VIDEO) pic.twitter.com/yUF3VA48B8
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) January 27, 2016
Famous for admitting that Barack Obama’s speeches gives him a thrill up his leg, Matthews appeared at the time fundamentally wrong about the background of both men. “Neither Rubio nor Cruz was born in Cuba. Rubio was born in Miami, Florida, to Cuban immigrants, while Cruz, whose father is also from Cuba, was born in Canada. He later renounced his Canadian citizenship when he decided to run for president,” the Washington Free Beacon explained.
Matthews’ wife Kathleen is a U.S. House candidate in Maryland’s 8th Congressional district running as a Democrat.
Just a few minutes ago, Chris Matthews apologized on the air for disparaging Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, according to Newsbusters.
“Two nights ago, I said that ratings were going to suffer in tonight’s Republican debate with Donald Trump not there. I said that a debate focused on the other top contenders, Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Marco Rubio wouldn’t be the same draw. I referred to them as ‘the two Cuban guys.’ Well, it had nothing to do with the point I was making, it came up as condescending, even derogatory. It sounded like I was putting them down because of their background. It was raw and insensitive and not just to the good Cuban-American people out there watching who heard about it, who have found freedom and pride in this country, its important groups out there, which I respect, have called me on it, and have been right to do so.”
MSNBC has a certain history of racially or ethnically charged remarks that prompted numerous on-air apologies, as the Inquisitr has previously detailed.
You may also recall that Bloomberg political reporter Mark Halperin had to apologize in May 2015 for probing Ted Cruz’s Cuban “authenticity” in what many observers across the political spectrum considered a very condescending if not offensive interview with the senator that may also have been ideologically driven.
@BiasedGirl To Chris Matthews, Cruz and Rubio have committed the ultimate sin: being Latino while Republican.
— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) January 27, 2016
[Photo by Evan Agostini/AP]
