Joy Reid Claps Back at Michael Steele for Dismissing AOC’s Solidarity with Democrats: ‘Hell Yeah, I’d Go to War With Her’

MSNBC’s Joy Reid did not hesitate to claim solidarity with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez when former RNC chair Michael Steele dismissed the progressive Congresswoman as a petty extremist akin to Republican die-hard supporters who are more supportive of Trump than their party’s agenda.

In a telling moment that previewed how cable news conversations will change once President Donald Trump leaves the White House and Never Trump conservatives lack a political foil in which to make common cause with liberals, Reid and Steele got into an unexpected disagreement on Monday night about their respective partisan allies.

Reid kicked off the discussion by asking Steele about the Lincoln Project’s scorched-earth attacks on the Senate Republican who aided and abetted Trump’s agenda and continue to hold out about acknowledging his loss to President-elect Joe Biden.

“You have all of the people, the ones that creeped out and said we think Biden won,” Reid said. “You have the others like Tim Scott. [Marco] Rubio. [Chuck] Grassley. Should they ever be allowed back into polite and normal political society after what they have done to the country?”

“Unlike the current iteration of Republicans who claim to be the standard bearers of the Republican Party who want to kick people out and lock them out because they don’t like Donald Trump or aren’t showing fealty to Donald Trump. I’m not going to decide who should or shouldn’t be a Republican. Or should or shouldn’t be inside the party,” Steele said. “Those individuals have to make that case and that stand for themselves and take it to the voters if they’re planning to run under a Republican banner. If you are in a blood-red state this won’t ever be an issue. You’re going to be fine. If you’re in a different state, a purple state, if you will… you’re going to have to account for where you stood at this hour for the American people.”

“I got a yes or no for you, my friend,” Reid said. “Would you ever go to war with any of these men?”

“I have been at war with them. Did you not see my chairmanship…” Steele began to answer, mishearing the question.

“With them by your side. Would you trust them by your side in battle?” Reid clarified.

“Depends what the battle is. That’s the nature,” Steele began again, opening the door to working with formerly staunch Trump allies.

“You’re being too nice!” Reid said, waving away his diplomatic answer.

“You asked a serious question, I’m going to try to give you a real serious answer,” Steele replied. “That’s the problem with the nature of our politics today. In the many respects, Donald Trump exposed that distortion in our politics. You see it on the left as well. How do you go to battle with an Ocasio-Cortez? When she turns to the moderate or conservative Democrat next to her…”

“I would, I would!” Reid shot back. “She knows how to speak to young voters and I trust her she cares about constituents. I believe she actually cares whether people have a meal on Thanksgiving. I don’t know if Marco Rubio does, If don’t know if Rick Scott cares, I know AOC cares. And she will fight for her constituents come hell or high water and for this country’s democracy. Hell yeah, I’d go to war with her. 100 percent.”

“I’m sure those constituents those people represent feel the same way about them. I don’t get to make that judgment,” Steele said of hardcore pro-Trump Republicans, clearly on his heels a bit at Reid’s pushback.

“Surprise. They haven’t passed a bill to feed them at Thanksgiving. Surprise. They aren’t doing a damn thing to make sure they eat.” Reid fired back.

Watch the video above, via MSNBC.

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