Smerconish: ‘Direct Connection’ Between Violence at Trump Rallies and Birtherism

‘I see a direct connection between fomenting the seeds of discontent and telling an angry white middle class, that the others could be Barack Obama without a birth certificate or the Mexicans who are the rapists’

SMERCONISH: "Jeffrey, what I’m saying is that there is nothing you can show me from any of the other candidates where they made similar statements to Donald Trump. I abhor incivility. I’m not about that. I don’t like the fact these protesters have interrupted your guy but other candidates have done nothing like he has done. You get to respond."
LORD: "Michael, I love you but what I hear you saying is the political equivalent of the woman who was asking to be raped because she wears short skirt. This is wrong. This is wrong. Candidates can say anything they please, anything they please, they do not deserve to be --"
WRIGHT: "Michael, look, I think that showing that clip you raise an important point, Michael. No other candidate is being heckled and having protesters disrupt his rallies with the intent purpose of getting into inciting fights with supporters. And I agree with what Donald Trump said, you have one protester after another - do I think these people should be punched in the gut? No. I’m with you, Michael. I think on both sides, the violence is not acceptable but to blame it on Donald Trump when you have him being gang banged by protesters and his supporters, I don’t think that 75- year-old man should have sucker punched that young black kid, at the same time, we have to ask ourselves a question. Why are so many liberals coming out in hordes in Donald Trump’s rallies? Shouldn’t they focus energy on supporting their candidate, Hillary or Bernie? Isn’t that what democracy is about? I don’t like the violence, Michael. I agree with you."
SMERCONISH: "I get the final word. I don’t see correlation, I see causation. I see a direct connection between fomenting the seeds of discontent and telling an angry white middle class, that the others could be Barack Obama without a birth certificate or the Mexicans who are the rapists or the Muslims that we need to keep as a religion out of this country and then to act like you’re surprised when people go crazy at these rallies. I’m sorry, guys."
WRIGHT: "I’m not white and I agree with them. The Muslims, we need a temporary moratorium on Muslims coming into the country and get a handle on illegal immigration. I’m not white. I agree with Donald Trump."
SMERCONISH: "Next time you come on, don’t hold back and tell me what you really think."

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