MSNBC's Chris Matthews is under fire after comparing Sen. Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersDemocratic senators call on domestic airlines to issue cash refunds for travelers Sanders still sees 'narrow path' to Democratic presidential nomination Tenants call on lawmakers to pass rent freezes MORE's (I-Vt.) decisive win in the Nevada caucuses to the Nazi invasion of France in 1940, with some on social media calling for the "Hardball" host to resign.
"I was reading last night about the fall of France in the summer of 1940," Matthews said during MSNBC's live coverage of the caucuses on Saturday. "And the general, Reynaud, calls up Churchill and says, 'It's over.' And Churchill says, 'How can that be? You've got the greatest army in Europe. How can it be over?' He said, 'It's over.'"
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews likens Sanders victory in Nevada to Nazi Germany overrunning France in 1940: “It’s too late to stop him … it’s over” pic.twitter.com/6GJetLoDkq
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 22, 2020
Criticism quickly poured in on social media over Matthews using the analogy. Sanders is Jewish and most of his family members were killed in the Holocaust.
One such response came from Mike Casca, who serves as Sanders's 2020 communications director.
never thought part of my job would be pleading with a national news network to stop likening the campaign of a jewish presidential candidate whose family was wiped out by the nazis to the third reich.
— mike casca (@cascamike) February 22, 2020
but here we are. https://t.co/2G1bqZ6bkI
Chris Matthews just compared Bernie Sanders, a Jewish man whose relatives were killed by the Nazis, to the Nazi army. He should be fired immediately. #FireChrisMatthews https://t.co/Z6irGFuXK4
— Krishan Patel (@IAmKrishanPatel) February 22, 2020
For once, I'm not being sarcastic here. I'm dead serious.
— Alex Kotch (@alexkotch) February 22, 2020
I'm really, really insulted by a major pundit on an allegedly liberal news network comparing a Jewish candidate's overwhelming caucus victory to the French losing a battle with the Nazis.
Get this lunatic off the air. https://t.co/HZXWl3ceS7
Chris Mathews has been generous to me on a number of occasions, even blurbing my book. However, his constant references to political violence and today Nazism to describe Bernie Sanders campaign is beyond the pale. @HardballChris must resign or be fired from @MSNBC.
— Arun Chaudhary (@ArunChaud) February 22, 2020
Probably true but there are a million other ways he could have made his point that don’t involve the holocaust https://t.co/14fFnuPBnt
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) February 22, 2020
.@HardballChris just compared Bernie Sanders and his movement to Hitler and the Nazis on national television.
— Walker Bragman (@WalkerBragman) February 22, 2020
Sanders, who is Jewish and lost family in the Holocaust, is on track to be the nation's first Jewish president.
Enough with this. Matthews should not be on the air. https://t.co/TBC9bOmdfa
Sanders easily won the Silver State with 47 percent of the vote with 50 percent of precincts reporting. Former Vice President Joe Biden
Joe BidenBiden leads Trump by 6 points in national poll The Memo: Political world grapples with long coronavirus shutdown The Hill's Campaign Report: North Carolina emerges as key battleground for Senate control MORE followed with 19.2 percent, and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Pete ButtigiegReuters poll finds Sanders cutting Biden national lead to single digits Biden says he'll adopt plans from Sanders, Warren Buttigieg guest-hosts for Jimmy Kimmel: 'I've got nothing else going on' MORE had 15.3 percent.
The Hill has reached out to MSNBC for comment.
--This report was updated on Feb. 24 at 9:52 a.m.
