Tiffany Cross Calls Out Trump ‘Diversity’ Leader for Using ‘Racist Terms’ Like China Virus in Epic Throwdown
MSNBC guest-host Tiffany Cross threw down with Trump Diversity Coalition Executive Director Bruce LeVell in an epic segment, during which Cross called out LeVell for using the term “China virus” to describe COVID-19.
On Saturday morning’s edition of AM Joy, Cross reprised her guest-hosting role as the show’s former permanent host, Joy Reid, had a record-breaking debut in primetime for her new show The ReidOut.
Ms. Cross welcomed Mr. LeVell for what turned into an epic 18-minute segment in which she tried to give her guest the opportunity to make his case to communities of color, but which was frequently derailed.
During one particularly contentious exchange, Cross pressed LeVell about President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. After denying the well-documented friction between the White House and Dr. Anthony Fauci, LeVell explained what he thought of Trump’s response to the outbreak.
Cross rattled off the current disastrous case numbers and asked “Is there anything that you think Donald Trump could have done differently? And if so, what is that?”
“The president of the United States, Donald Trump, and we as the country, Tiffany, have done a marvelous job and a wonderful job combatting this China virus that has taken over our economy,” LeVell said, and was immediately interrupted.
“Sir, I just want to correct you. You lead the diversity coalition, and you are calling, you’re using these racist terms like the China virus. This is COVID-19,” Cross said, as LeVell repeatedly protested “It came from China! It came from China!”
“Yes but I would no sooner say that you had the MAGA virus than I would call this the China virus. That’s ridiculous and you know that,” Cross said, then added “And somebody leading the diversity coalition, that’s clearly offensive to the Asian American members of this community. It seems like an easy thing to not do that that, as the head of the diversity coalition. Seems like an easy thing.”
“where did the virus come from? Where did the virus come from? Where did the virus come from? China.” LeVell said as Cross was speaking.
“Where did the virus come from?” LeVell asked again, to which Cross replied “Look I think MSNBC has a lot of people in rotation to host this show, when you get in rotation you can ask the questions, but right now I’m asking them, and I’m saying a lot of people in the Asian American community, and myself included, find that term offensive. Why not call it COVID-19, what scientists call it?”
“And that’s really beside the point, I don’t want to get sidetracked. The point is there are 146,000 dead Americans, we are seeing 50,000 new cases a day, and you have gone on record by saying you think the president has done a good job and you don’t think there’s anything different he can do,” Cross said with a laugh.
“Oh you think that’s funny. You laugh at that,” LeVell said.
“To keep from crying sir, I find it preposterous that we can’t have a factual discussion, that we can’t have an intellectual exchange,” Cross said, as LeVell continued to wax outraged.
Trump briefly stopped using the term “China virus” over concerns about racist incidents involving Asian-Americans, but then resumed and escalated to the racist term “Kung Flu,” and included “China plague” in his response to former Vice President Joe Biden’s accusation of racism earlier this week.
Watch the full segment above via MSNBC.
