CNN, MSNBC Cry Racism Over Florida GOP Map, Spread Misinfo

CNN and MSNBC both demonstrated over the last week that they were not so opposed to gerrymandering, as they claimed. Instead they want to see gerrymandering favoring Democrats.

The liberal media reacted to Florida Republicans passing the Governor Ron DeSantis’s plan of congressional redistricting. They cried racism and misinformed their audiences about it.

MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell said that the map “clearly targeted people of color,” while Maria Teresa Kumar incited Democrats for calling it “overtly racially charged.” Al Sharpton referenced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Saturday, and said that DeSantis “declared war upon democracy.”

Don Lemon, a CNN reporter asked Friday if “any other way to view this than an attack against black voters”. As he was speaking with Jasmine Burney, a liberal activist Jasmine Burney -Clark, he made accusations that DeSantis had been acting as an “dictator”.

CNN’s Diane Gallagher, a CNN reporter provocatively quoted Democrats while she was on Tuesday’s Jake Tapper as The Lead and misleadingly recalled:

The call it racist, authoritarian and unconstitutional. Democrats claim that Governor Ron DeSantis’ proposal would add Republican seats and decrease black representation in Congress. Florida currently has five black members to Congress. They are four Democrats. This map proposal would remove two seats — the seats of Representative Val Demings, Al Lawson and Al Lawson.

The argument of Governor DeSantis that his plan unwinds the gerrymandering on the old map was then dismissed by her.

Ron DeSantis now claims the motivation behind the approved map’s rejection and Governor Ron DeSantis’ veto was that he desired a map “race neutral”, which he believed would adhere to the U.S. Constitution. Democrats, however, claim this is not only against the Voting rights Act but also violates Florida’s constitution which requires the protection of minority districts.

Numerous journalists incorrectly stated that Val Demings’ 10th District seat was being removed. In fact, the district is becoming more Democratic because it has been shifting eastward. The current district is 29.5 percent of black. It does not appear that the racial demographics will change significantly under the new plan, as compared with the Florida Democrats’ status quo map.

Marc Caputo, NBC News’ political reporter — formerly with the Miami HeraldNBC News Now has a more precise explanation:

I caution you from focusing too much attention on the 10th district in Congress and the loss African American voter power.

A year ago, Congresswoman Demings announced that she wouldn’t be running for reelection to run for Senate. So whether or not she is able to get reelected in her new district will not matter.

Five black representatives from Florida are in Congress, including four Democrats (and one Republican). The Almanac of American PoliticsThree Democrats, Al Lawson and Frederica Wilson and Sheila Cherfilus McCormick, represent areas where approximately half the residents are black. (One above 50% and two below).

One can see clearly from the maps that the 5th District that DeSantis will be eliminating is oddly shaped over decades. The new map, however, will not have the same gerrymandering as the previous one.

These media outlets also ignore the aggressive gerrymandering by Democrats in states such as Illinois, New York, or Maryland. They even disregard recent court decisions striking down maps in New York and Maryland. Instead, they prefer to place all of the blame on Republicans.

Flonase and Lincoln sponsored the anti-Republican misinformation that CNN displayed. And on MSNBC, it was sponsored in part by Aleve, ServPro and T-Mobile. The link provides their contact information.

These are the transcripts of CNN and MSNBC’s horrible reporting: 

MSNBC’s Velshi

April 17, 2022

Eastern, 9:43

MARIA TERESA KUMAR: “Overtly racist”That’s the way a group black Florida lawmakers describe Governor DeSantis’s most recent congressional redistricting map.

(…)

I will read the reaction of a Florida State Senator on this topic and Florida’s Race Issue. His indignation at doing something like that clearly shows his views on minorities and black voters. “This is one of the best.” Overtly racistYou can take action. Randolph Bracy, State Senator Randolph Bracy. Jasmine, how did you react to this?

JASMINE BURNNEY-CLARK EQUAL GROUND EDUATION FUND: This is my reaction to the comments made by Senator Jeremy Burney. …

(…)

MSNBC’s Ayman

April 17, 2022

Eastern, 9:35

ALAINA BEVERLY, FORMER AIDE to PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : His plan to weaken the African American vote to favor greater Republican strength within his state is at its heart. I am sure that there will be legal challenges.

AYMAN MOHYELDIN (Yes, I meant to say that he won only 14 percent of black votes in 2018. The situation seems to be that, even he cannot get the vote of black voters, he wants to dilute it.

(…)

CNN’s Jake Tapper as The Lead

April 19, 2022

Eastern at 5:33 pm

JAKE TAPPER: Dianne, a special session has started. How do Democrats feel about DeSantis’s maps?

DIANNE GALLAGHER It’s being called “racist”, “authoritarian”, and “unconstitutional” by them. Democrats claim that Governor Ron DeSantis’ proposal would add Republican seats and decrease black representation in Congress. Florida currently has five black members to Congress. They are four Democrats. This map proposal would remove two seats — the seats of Representative Val Demings, Al Lawson and Al Lawson.

Ron DeSantis claims that the map’s approval and his veto was due to his desire for a “race neutral” map, which he feels adheres to the U.S. Constitution. Democrats, however, claim this is not only against the Voting rights Act but also violates Florida’s constitution which requires the protection of minority districts.

(…)

CNN’s John King: Inside Politics

April 20, 2022

Eastern, 12:32

ABBY PHILLIP: He’s doing it by Many districts represented — by black legislators, should be eliminated. DeSantis is going to call some of these districts race-gerrymandered. A lot of the districts that are represented in large numbers by black voters will be eliminated. It’s all part of the culture warfare.

(…)

MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports

April 20, 2022

Eastern, 12:43

ANDREA MITCHELL: And This isn’t the only thing DeSantis appears to do to help Trump. Today, the Florida Senate approved his plan to eliminate black-majority areas from redistricting.To give Republicans more congressional seats. … Listen to Osgood, State Senator earlier today, slamming Governor Scott’s congressional map.

STATE SENATOR ROSALIND OSGOOD, D-FL: This state is home to many black people. Their presence is felt in a significant portion of the state. They’re not going anywhere. The people I represent, right now are feeling hurt. They feel disregarded. We’re making a mistake by presenting maps that are clearly and clearly targeted at people of color.

MITCHELL The map clearly targets individuals of color.

KIMBERLY ATTKINS STоHR, MSNBC POLICIAL ANALYST : Yes. It seeks division — to divide blacks up into districts, in a manner that weakens their voting power.

(…)

MNSBC’s Deadline: White House

April 20, 2022

Eastern: 4:34 pm

MAYA WILEY, MSNBC LEGAL ANALYST: Ron DeSantis in Florida, he’s literally just going to stuff black people, you know, separate black people out so there’s less representation for black people.

(..)

CNN’s Don Lemon Tonight

April 22, 2022

Eastern Time: 11:35

DON LEMON: Governor DeSantis also signing bills today punishing Disney — Florida’s largest employer — for opposing the so-called “don’t say gay” bill and redrawing the state’s congressional map, which opponents complain targets black voters. This law is being challenged by civil rights organizations. … Let’s now take a closer look at the new map. It dismantles Florida’s 5th District, which links black communities in Florida from Tallahassee and Jacksonville. This district is represented by Al Lawson (black Democrat). The 10th District represented by Val Demings is now shifted east to whiter communities. Can we have this without a direct attack on the black voter?

Don’t forget JASMINE BURNEY CLARK, EQUAL GRUND EDUCATION and ACTION FUND You’ve followed the Florida governor’s attacks on black Floridians and voters for a while. now. The current legislative session does not differ from the ones we have seen since the beginning of his administration. This is the only way you can see it. It’s an attack on the governor and another example of how he has used racist tactics to remove black representation from the state. Florida currently has 28 congressional district as per the 2020 census. Four are black access. He submitted a map to the legislature this week, which was passed out by the legislature. It eliminates half of the four districts that are black access. It is direct targeting of this administration to the backs black Floridians, and Florida.

LEMON: Jasmine Congressman! Al Lawson asserts that DeSantis is showing Florida’s voters that he is acting as a dictator.What do you think? Is it the way you see?

(….)

LEMON: Hear this. This is Governor DeSantis from earlier this week.

GOVERNOR RON DeSANTIS, R-FL: The north Florida map will not be drawn in a race-neutral way. And we won’t have a 200 mile gerrymander where people are civvied up on the basis of skin color. It is wrong. This isn’t the way Florida has governed.

LEMON: He says, “Drawn with a race neutral manner.” Is that what you mean?

BURNEY CLARK: This is absolutely meaningless when you consider that he only targets two of 28 districts in the state’s congressional district, which happen to be the two black ones. It’s not possible to say it’s truly race neutral when textbooks are taken out of our school, and they contain Critical Race Theory. If they do this on behalf of black people it’s difficult to call this race-neutral.

LEMON: Jasmine. Thank you. Appreciate it. Have a good weekend.

(…)

MSNBC’s PoliticsNation

April 23, 2022

Eastern: 5:22 p.m.

Al SHARPTON: DeSantis’s effort to build himself into the next Trump may have also led him to Declare his war against democracy. To push his plan to gerrymander 2 largely-black districts, he took control of the congressional mapmaking process from his party.

(…)

MSNBC’s Ayman

April 23, 2022

Eastern, 9:08 p.m.

AYMAN MOHYELDIN speaks with Tina Polsky (Democratic State Senator): Now, let me quickly ask about something you raised — that’s gerrymandering. Florida Republicans have just approved a new, gerrymandered congressional grid that significantly reduces the voting power and dilutes black Floridians. That legislation was not supported by your — Please tell us what’s likely to happen and why. Are you referring to legal challenges?