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On Thursday, Twitter users demanded that MSNBC #FireChrisHayes, so much so, that the hashtag began trending. The tweets are coming from both right-wing media and Democrats constituents who are all upset that the host of All In With Chris Hayes covered sexual assault allegations against the presumed Democratic candidate for president on his show. The trending topic is highlighting the inflammatory discourse that has bubbled up around the allegations against Joe Biden by a former staffer, Tara Reade.
On Wednesday night, Hayes dedicated a segment of his show to discussing Reade’s allegations. “There have been moments… for all of us when we have heard about accusations against someone that we find ourselves desperately wanting not to believe,” Hayes said to open the segment. He continued on in describing difficulties when accusations are against someone for whom we have “political admiration— someone on our ‘side.’”
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. Christopher Loffredo Hayes (/ h eɪ z /; born February 28, 1979) is an American political commentator, television news anchor and author. Hayes hosts All In with Chris Hayes, a weekday news and opinion television show on MSNBC.Hayes also hosts a weekly MSNBC podcast, Why Is This Happening? Hayes formerly hosted a weekend MSNBC show, Up with Chris Hayes.He is an editor-at-large of The Nation. 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.
“But part of the difficult lesson of the Me Too era is not that every accusation is true and everything should be believed on its face, but that you do have to fight yourself when you feel that impulse,” Hayes continued. “You have to do that in order to take seriously what is being alleged and what the evidence is and to evaluate it.” As a result of these statements, Twitter began to speculate everything from Hayes’ motives on air to whether he was a “Russian agent.”
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, 2020Hayes is among few mainstream journalists to even address Reade’s allegations against Biden. Mainstream media has been slow to cover Reade’s story about being digitally penetrated by Biden when she was a staff assistant in 1993. She shared her story on Katie Halper’s podcast on March 25, but it wasn’t until several weeks later when the New York Times and Washington Post published investigations and addressed her allegations. Both publications were criticized for framing their reporting in ways that downplayed their findings, and Biden’s campaign continues to deny all allegations against him.
Hayes’ coverage comes in light of new evidence that has emerged over the past week that corroborates Reade’s story, including a neighbor who confirmed that Reade told her about the assault and a 1993 tape from Larry King Live that appears to show Reade’s late mother calling into the show and mentioning “problems” her daughter had with a “prominent Senator.”
Despite the allegations, Democratic members of congress have continued to support the Biden campaign. “I stand by Vice President Biden,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said when asked about the allegations on Wednesday. “He has devoted his life to supporting women and he has vehemently denied this allegation.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also said she is “satisfied” with Biden’s response to the accusation.
Chris Hayes Twitter Dance
However, Hayes’ coverage has opened another kind of floodgate for others who support all investigations of claims against Biden. “Really, really proud of Chris Hayes for covering the Tara Reade story,” tweeted journalist Carlos Maza. As Biden attempts to rally women behind him — even with his declaration of promising a woman as his running mate — it seems that the allegations against him will continue to make way into public attention. And, Hayes’ actions, despite the backlash that ensued, show a clear choice to remain in favor of believing women, no matter the circumstances.
#FireChrisHayes is trending on Twitter right now. On his program last night, the MSNBC prime-time host covered a story outlining allegations of sexual harassment against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden by former Senate staff assistant Tara Reade, much to the chagrin of many of his loyal viewers.
“Throughout the entire ‘Me Too’ era there have been movements … when we have heard about accusations against someone that we find ourselves desperately wanting not to believe,” Hayes said during the broadcast. “But part of the difficult lesson of the ‘Me Too’ era is not that every accusation is true and everything should be believed on its face, but that you do have to fight, yourself, when you feel that impulse.”
The host pointed out that this phenomenon applied with respect to Reade and Biden, before laying out the details of Reade’s accusation.
Hayes invited New York magazine’s Rebecca Traister to speak on the issue. Some viewers criticized that decision as well because of an April 27 article she wrote, titled “The Biden Trap.”
Again, this didn’t go over well with a good chunk of Hayes’ audience, most of whom are Democrats and supporters of Biden. In addition to feeling the coverage was one-sided, some said they feel the allegations are not only bogus, but that even giving attention to them would hurt Biden’s chance of beating Trump in the general election. Twitter armies then got the hashtag #FireChrisHayes to trend.
However, journalists from both sides of the political spectrum have vouched for Hayes, and they are defending him and his decision to cover the story:
What Chris Hayes is about to discover is that the people criticizing him for covering a perfectly legitimate story will be the same folks who will become his most fervent viewers without even knowing it. Bucking the hive mentality can only be a good thing: https://t.co/Qh3bg3Vn5P
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) April 30, 2020
I’m not sure there is a more thoughtful, well-read, humane, human, grounded, quick, reflective, curious TV host than @chrislhayes.
— Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) April 30, 2020
Really, #FireChrisHayes is trending?? Because he covered the sexual assault allegations against a candidate for president? @chrislhayes is a good journalist. This Twitter temper tantrum is absurd, grow up folks.
— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) April 30, 2020
A reminder that you don’t need to give momentum to dumb hash tags by saying they’re dumb. Attacking them only makes them trend higher.
Also, @chrislhayes is one of the best and most moral voices in media. If more of cable news reflected his example, this’d be a better world.
Chris Hayes Twitter Tucker Carlson
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) April 30, 2020
Also, with this completely deranged backlash against @ChrisLHayes for the crime of covering what a news story – one that just happens to be unfavorable to Dems – you see the extreme career incentives for cable hosts never to tell their audiences anything they don’t want to hear.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 30, 2020
Sickened to see calls for @chrislhayes to be fired. He’s an extraordinary journalist. His TV show is a reliable source of hard-hitting news coverage, from Trump’s corruption to inequality to #climatechange. Biden has to address the accusation. And we need Hayes’s voice on @MSNBC
— Eric Klinenberg (@EricKlinenberg) April 30, 2020