MSNBC’s Hunt to Sen Warren: Is McConnell ‘Sexist’?

Wednesday on MSNBC, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) discussed being reprimanded on the Senate floor Tuesday for her comments against President Donald Trump’s Attorney General nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL).

Several times, MSNBC political correspondent Kasie Hunt asked Sen.Warren if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) invoked Rule 19 to shut her down while reading a letter by Coretta Scott King because he is “sexist.”

Partial transcript as follows:

HUNT: Let’s talk about what’s happened in the intervening hours since this happened on the floor. Your democratic colleagues have gone down to the senate floor. They’ve been reading this letter out loud. Was that something you asked them to do?

WARREN: Nope.

HUNT: And so far, they’ve been allowed to continue speaking. Some say it was sexist to silence you on the floor last night.

WARREN: You’d have to ask Mitch McConnell. He’s the one who shut me down for doing this. But I will tell you what I did. As soon as I was no longer allowed to read, I went outside the senate chamber and I read the whole speech, just did it live on video and posted it on Facebook. I hope everybody reads the speech. I have tried to put up as many connections. I want children to read this speech. I want adults to read this speech. I want all people, and particularly, I want the Republicans who are going to vote tonight on whether or not Jeff Sessions becomes the next attorney general of the United States. I want them to read this speech before they vote.

HUNT: Do you think what Senator McConnell did last night was sexist?

WARREN: I think what he did was wrong.

HUNT: But it wasn’t sexist?

WARREN: I think reading the words of Coretta Scott King on the floor of the United States senate honors the senate. She talks about a very difficult time in our history. And a time and a reminder that even today, African-Americans are often denied access to voting. And she talks about how it happened and why it happened. I think it’s an important part of our history that we cannot just push behind us. that we cannot just gloss over. everyone needs to read Coretta Scott King’s letter.

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN