The Joe Walsh vs. Angela Rye Twitter Battle and Why It’s Especially Noteworthy Today
Today, a Mediaite article was at the center of a Twitter battle, so we are going to give you an overview. It’s only right.
It started this afternoon when CNN’s Angela Rye criticized Donald Trump‘s presidency by saying, “Barack Obama had to be the next best thing to Jesus and here we are, just two months in and some change, there is issue after issue.” We took note of the statement and wrote it up, which caught the attention of Joe Walsh, a former single-term congressman known for tweeting at Obama a threat of “war,” among other things.
Walsh interpreted Rye’s statement about the standards Obama had to live up to as a direct comparison to Jesus:
.@angela_rye: “Barack Obama was the next best thing to Jesus.”
Huh? Angela, that’s why u can’t be taken seriously. https://t.co/MGIeQNddr0
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) March 28, 2017
Rye responded to Walsh like this:
Try again, you LAME! You guys STAY TWISTING WORDS! https://t.co/WYjgCFWOMw
— a. rye✊? (@angela_rye) March 28, 2017
It continued:
.@angela_rye Its ok to be pro-Obama. But Angela, it’s never good to WORSHIP any politician. No politician can be compared to Jesus. Cool? https://t.co/NJM3XgxkSl
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) March 28, 2017
This is why you served ONE term in the house, playboy. You’re listening skills? Wack. Reading comprehension? More wack. #trollELSEWHERE https://t.co/HaC4O2pOI2
— a. rye✊? (@angela_rye) March 28, 2017
Walsh did eventually come around to realize Rye’s intended meaning:
.@angela_rye And your way wrong on your main point Angela. We LOWERED the bar for Obama. He was held to a lower standard cuz he was black. https://t.co/OMXphLZUTj
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) March 28, 2017
He even apologized:
.@angela_rye I’ll do something rare on twitter. I’ll apologize. Angela, I misinterpreted you. I’m sorry about that.
I mean it. https://t.co/OMXphLZUTj
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) March 28, 2017
Regardless, MSNBC’s Joy Reid jumped in:
First of all, it’s “you’re,” as in “YOU’RE not fit to be Obama’s intern.” Second, who’s “we?” People who owe back child support, perhaps? https://t.co/eaulI7jaFo
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) March 28, 2017
So did CNN’s W. Kamau Bell:
Did white men decide that today is the day to put Black women back in their place? Because that’s not today. That’s the 3rd of Neveruary.? pic.twitter.com/Zkqg5D6egZ
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) March 28, 2017
And actor Don Cheadle:
What’s a typo? And name call at will, Joe. Your tweet is inherently racist and we can all see that. https://t.co/m2DwkoYgRL
— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) March 28, 2017
As noted in the Bell tweet, Walsh’s misinterpretation of Rye’s comments and Twitter provocation were especially noteworthy today, given that Bill O’Reilly has been under fire all afternoon for comments he made about Representative Maxine Waters this morning. Sean Spicer, too, faced criticism after today’s press briefing for telling reporter April Ryan to stop shaking her head.
Bill and Sean are showing the world how Black Women get talked about and treated everyday.
Take notice-and do something.
— Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti) March 28, 2017
Bill O’Reilly’s treatment of Rep. Waters & Spicer’s treatment of April Ryan = examples of white men trying to silence successful black women
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) March 28, 2017
Like Walsh, O’Reilly, too, has apologized.
[image via screengrab]
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