Recently, Chuck Todd, the host of NBC’s “Meet the Press” read portions of a letter to the editor of the Lexington Herald Leader that mocked people who believe in a literal translation of the Holy Bible. In doing so the NBC News anchor advanced the mainstream media notion that supporters of President Trump are a bunch of ignorant, backwater rednecks who cling to their guns and religion. Todd said on Meet the Press that the letter was a “fascinating attempt” to explain why so many Americans support the president.
The letter read, “Why do people support Trump? It’s because people have been trained from childhood to believe in fairy tales… This set their minds up to accept things that make them feel good… The more fairy tales and lies he tells the better they feel… Show me a person who believes in Noah’s ark and I will show you a Trump voter.”
It was wrong for the NBC host to pluck out of obscurity a letter disparaging people of faith and belittling those who believe in the biblical account of the flood, which includes not only Christians but Muslims and Jewish people, too.
This is not the first time Todd has stepped into this kind of trouble. Last year, he posted a strange tweet on Good Friday — the day commemorating Jesus’ death on the cross, paying the price for the sins of humanity — arguing people can be “good” any day of the week if they are willing to show “a little selflessness.”
He seemed to miss the point of Good Friday entirely. And he missed the mark once again on Sunday.