An MSNBC host called for consequences for a Republican senator from Louisiana who launched into a racially charged line of questioning against the head of the Arab-American Institute — during a hearing aimed at discussing the prevalence of hate crimes.
Chris Hayes took a couple of minutes out of his show, "All In," on Wednesday to tell viewers that Sen. John Kennedy doesn't get the same level of notoriety or criticism as other "attention-thirsty" firebrand lawmakers such as Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) or Josh Hawley (R-MO), but he ought to.
"Time and time again, when given the opportunity, Kennedy uses his platform to disparage Arab-American and Muslim-American communities with bigoted poison," said Hayes.
Hayes pointed to Kennedy's "truly disgusting line of questioning" toward Maya Berry during a Senate hearing on hate crimes Tuesday. Berry was the sole Muslim witness at the hearing.
Hayes then played a clip of Kennedy hurling racially charged questions at a stunned Berry as she tried to explain that hate crimes against Arabs and Jews in the U.S. have risen a respective 73 percent and 58 percent, over a period when hate crimes as a whole rose only 7 percent.
“By focusing on hate crime statistics, the federal government’s role in hate crime enforcement, and recommendations for policy remedies, I hope my testimony can help inform our collective response to combat all forms of hate,” said Berry.
Shortly after that, Kennedy asked her, "You support Hamas, don't you?"
“Senator, oddly enough, I’m going to say thank you for that question, because it demonstrates the purpose of our hearing today in a very effective way,” Berry said. “Hamas is a foreign terrorist organization that I do not support, but you asking the executive director of the Arab American Institute that question very much puts the focus on the issue of hate in our country.”
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Kennedy continued to repeatedly ask if she supported Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, or their "hatred of Jews" — and particularly took issue with her criticism of the U.S. decision to cut off aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which aids Palestinian refugees but has been accused by Israel of employing a handful of people who participated in the Oct. 7 attacks.
“I think it’s exceptionally disappointing that you’re looking at an Arab American witness before you and saying you support Hamas. I do not support Hamas,” said Berry.
Kennedy replied, “You know what’s disappointing to me? You can’t bring yourself to say you don’t support UNRWA, you don’t support Hamas, you don’t support Hezbollah and you don’t support Iran. You should hide your head in a bag!”
The attack drew groans and gasps from attendees.
Hayes noted Kennedy's attacks are "nothing new." Last year, he accused lawyer Adeel Mangi, who was nominated to be the first Muslim-American on a federal appeals court, of celebrating the Sept. 11 attacks. Mangi's nomination, noted Hayes, remains in limbo.
"Accusing Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans of supporting terrorism is obviously racist and Islamaphobic," said Hayes.
Telling the only Arab-American witness during a hearing on hate crimes that she should hide her head in a bag, added Hayes, is "frankly unacceptable."
"There should be real professional consequences for this disgusting display," he said. "In a normal world, we would be talking immediately about censuring Senator Kennedy. His colleagues would. There would be discussion about him losing his committee seats. It's the kind of rank bigotry that would get you fired from a regular job."
Watch the clip below or at this link.
