Fiery MSNBC Debate Erupts as Black Republican Asks Elie Mystal: ‘At What Point’ Will You Move On From Talking About Voter Suppression?

MSNBC host Tiffany Cross and justice correspondent for The Nation Elie Mystal blasted Black Republicans on Saturday across two segments, alongside guest Rufus Montgomery, a Black Republican consultant and strategist.

In the first segment, Cross and Mystal spoke generally about their problem with Black Republicans, with Mystal describing them as “tokens” who are “shucking and jiving for their white handlers.”

After a break, Cross zeroed in specifically on the issue of voting rights.

“There have been over 300 voter suppression bills introduced across this country,” Cross said to Montgomery. “Do you believe that the GOP is helping everyone vote fairly and freely in this country?”

Cross and Montgomery then discussed the Georgia voter bill that Gov. Brian Kemp signed, with Montgomery worked on.

When Elie Mystal came in on the subject of the Supreme Court the discussion turned “fiery,” as Cross described it.

TIFFANY CROSS: I’m coming straight to you on the voter suppression question, because I think that is a legitimate one. There have been over 300 voter suppression bills introduced across this country. Voter suppression has always been a tool and tactic of the GOP, but lately it’s been based on a lie that Donald Trump had the election stolen from him. Curious, your thoughts to Elie’s question: Do you believe that the GOP is helping everyone vote fairly and freely in this country?

RUFUS MONTGOMERY: There’s 50 states, and they’re done differently. I can talk to you about my state. I can talk to you about the voting bill that passed in Georgia last year, and it was a great bill. I worked on it. You heard these things out of D.C. I had family members calling and saying —

CROSS: The voter suppression bill out of, are you talking Georgia? I just want to make sure you’re in Georgia.

MONTGOMERY: Yes, yes, yes, out of Georgia. I’m not, I don’t know about what’s going on different states and what they’re doing–

CROSS: But you think the Brian Kemp bill..

MONTGOMERY: Yes I actually worked on it.

CROSS: Oh you worked on it? So you think it’s fair.

MONTGOMERY: Yes, I worked on it, I think it’s great. If you if you think about it, no one really brought up a big stink about it until the end. If you go back and ask – people that talk to me about that bill

CROSS: We certainly did on this show my friend, Rufus. We definitely made a stink about it.

MONTGOMERY: Well when we go back and think, when you go that, OK, well, well, my question to you is, is Georgia better or worse than Delaware or New York? Chuck Schumer’s from New York. Let’s compare Georgia to New York.

CROSS: Rufus, I would say you’re talking about Chuck Schumer and the voter policies come from state legislatures. I mean, that’s where all these garbage policies are coming from. And I’m trying to, because some of the things in the bill that people are not in Georgia specifically, that people cannot provide food and water in the state of Georgia. You know, I grew up in Georgia, so we can talk about this. You have seen in black neighborhoods the lines wrapped around building the routine closing of polls in Georgia, and they have a bill saying that you cannot give people standing in those lines water. That is specifically planned to target Black and brown voters because there was a multiracial, multi-ethnic coalition that helped send Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock to Congress, tilting the balance in the favor of Democrats. You’re saying this bill is not bad.

MONTGOMERY: I’m saying, what if someone puts a needle, and they put something into the water, what if someone taints the food or taints the actual water?

CROSS: Well that’s asinine, Rufus. That’s asinine, because that’s been happening for a long time and that has never happened. I want to ask you about these things, not something ridiculous like somebody could put a needle. Go ahead, Elie.

ELIE MYSTAL: Yeah, I mean, look. Rufus, who who took away the Voting Rights Act in 2013, right? Was that Democrats or Republicans. 2013 Shelby County v Holder, who took that away? That was Republican John Roberts, who eviscerated the Voting Rights Act in 2013. Let’s fast-forward to 2021, Brnovich v. Arizona. Who said that section two of the Voting Rights Act was no longer applicable? Do you know what Section two of the Voting Rights Act does? Section two of the Voting Rights Act is how I get to sue for racism in voting. Who took that away? Was it Democrats? No, no, no. That would be Sam Alito, John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas. That’s five people, all appointed by Republicans, Rufus. Not Democrats.

[CROSSTALK]

MONTGOMERY: OK, but OK, that’s OK but let’s be real, let’s be real for a minute. Y’all are familiar with the nuclear option that Harry Reid put in place, and he said he wasn’t going to put it all the way to the Supreme Court level. John McCain told him: don’t do it, don’t do it, Democrats.

MYSTAL: Who appointed the justices that took it away?

[CROSSTALK]

MONTGOMERY: When the Republicans get in charge, they are going to apply it at the Supreme Court level, they did, and three Republicans actually made it three, actually, they made it through. So we can talk about voting while we’re there. I wanted to find out, what did your vote actually get? You have the House, you have the Senate, you have the White House, and you’re still crying about voter suppression. How how much more voter suppression do you think, at what point–

MYSTAL: Because I don’t have five Supreme Court Justices, because you, because of Republicans on the court!

MONTGOMERY: At what point are you going to move from talking about voting suppression and moving into outcomes, outcomes particularly for Black people? OK. Every two years, every four years, we hear vote, vote, vote, vote, vote. But what are you specifically getting for your vote? What are you saying to Black people after you say voting? That’s right, I agree with you. No voter suppression, let’s end it. But what happens next? What are you specifically doing to help Black people with that vote? I don’t hear that from you.

CROSS: You know Rufus, I have to tell you, I think that’s a fair question. Well, you hear it definitely on this show. And I think that is a fair question. What are Black voters getting for their vote? We have to go away with these terms, like the Black vote. They’re Black voters.

Cross said she would have to get both men back to discuss the issue further, and thanked them both for “a very fiery discussion.”

Watch the clip above, via MSNBC.