Television personality Brian Williams arrives at the Time 100 Gala in New York, April 24, 2012. The Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the last year complied by Time Magazine. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT) - RTR316MP (REUTERS)
Brian Williams caused a Twitter uproar following comments he made during his show on Thursday about what he called "beautiful pictures" of U.S. missiles launching during an attack on a Syrian air base.
During "The 11th Hour" on MSNBC, Williams stated that the "beautiful pictures at night" of the airstrike tempted him to quote a line from a Leonard Cohen song: "I am guided by the beauty of our weapons."
He went on to call the images "beautiful pictures of fearsome armaments."
Video released by the military showed Tomahawk missiles targeted for a Syrian airfield launching from the decks of U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday.
Williams was quickly mocked and criticized on Twitter for the remarks, with some users suggesting they were insensitive to the realities of war.
@Mediaite Brian Williams is an idiot.This is his idea of being poetic?
— Steve Rogers (@umanoid) April 7, 2017
That Brian Williams line on the beauty of the Tomahawk missiles is just awful and utterly vile
— Raymond Miranda (@imbrogliostew) April 7, 2017
Hey Brian Williams, I always liked you, but seriously. What are you even doing? #beautifulweapons ?!?!?!? WHAT?!?!?!?
— bridget maire (@velcrogrrl) April 7, 2017
MSNBC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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