You Literally Can't Believe The Facts Rachel Maddow Tells You. So Say MSNBC's Lawyers
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow "is not 'stating actual facts' about the topics she discusses and is instead engaging in 'exaggeration' and 'non-literal commentary,' " U.S. District Judge wrote.
Rachel Maddow appears to be made of Teflon. MSNBC' top-rated host has been repeatedly accused of anti-white and racist comments, which have cost her political opinion show many of its major advertisers. Yet Maddow endures in her prime-time slot.
But any belief that Rachel Maddow is a journalist was set to rest in a San Diego federal courtroom on Friday, with a federal judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought against Maddow. The judge concluded that Maddow was far too silly to be taken as a credible news source.
The lawsuit against Maddow was brought by OANN, a news network that Maddow falsely accused on her show as being controlled by the Kremlin.
For the lawsuit to go forward, OANN would had to have shown that Maddow’s show stated facts rather than opinions.
Now comes the claim that you can't expect to literally believe the words that come out of Maddow's mouth. And that assertion is not coming from Maddow's critics. It's being made by a federal judge in the San diego and by MSNBC's own lawyers in defending Maddow against accusations of slander. It worked, by the way.
In court Maddow’s lawyer argued that her show was one of “quintessential statements of rhetorical hyperbole, incapable of being proved true or false.” John Nolte called Maddow’s lawyer’s claim “the Alex Jones defense,” although comparing Maddow to Jones is an insult to Jones in light of the Russigate and Avenatti hoaxers Maddow perpetrated.
In any event, the court agreed with Maddow’s lawyers. The defamation claim was dismissed because Maddow’s show is one of “opinion and rhetorical hyperbole,” and Maddow engages in an “exaggeration of the facts.”
If you think I’m exaggerating, read the full ruling.
The judge himself seemed to think Maddow is a silly teenager rather than an actual reporter, as he highlights her show uses terms like “sparkly” and “giblet.” The judge also found it compelling that Maddow moved her head in goofy ways.
Maddow’s win is America’s gain.
No one can credibly claim that Maddow’s show is real news.