MSNBC anchor Joy Reid suggested Tuesday that Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) was a “diversity statement” from fellow Republicans who nominated him for Speaker of the House. (Watch the video below.)
While a far-right faction crashed last week’s presidential vote for eventual winner Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Donalds was nominated several times as an alternative to McCarthy and received a bloc of GOP votes.
Reid focused on his inexperience.
“You were in Congress for one term,” Reid said. “What were your qualifications to be Speaker of the House?”
“I think my colleagues recognize my leadership and have seen it in many leaps,” replied Donalds, who describes himself on his website as “a pro-Trump, pro-liberty, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment” . .
Reid asked Donalds about the announcer’s worksheet, to which Donalds responded with proper accounting. It also appeared to advance a GOP talking point that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was responsible for the lax security that allowed the pro-Trump insurgent’s Jan. 6, 2021 mob invasion of the Capitol.
Reid pointed out to Donalds that he had never served in leadership and did not come close to the experience of previous speakers. Republicans “definitely looked like they were looking to you for an answer to Hakeem Jeffries (DNY) because you were literally there for one term,” he said.
Jeffries, who is now the Black House majority leader, led the polls for Democrats amid 15 rounds of speaker voting.
Reid noted that African Americans on the Democratic side far outnumber the Republican side.
“Don’t you think the point was to make a diversity statement by naming yourself?” he asked Donalds.
“The reality is that many members believe in my ability to lead,” Donalds responded. “Shall I be despised because of my youth?”
I’m a passionate and motivated journalist with a focus on world news. My experience spans across various media outlets, including Buna Times where I serve as an author. Over the years, I have become well-versed in researching and reporting on global topics, ranging from international politics to current events.