MSNBC’s Chris Hayes slams Dem lawmaker for ‘egregious political malpractice’
MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes host Chris Hayes went after Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., on Thursday night for his tentative plan to run against Congressman Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., after lawmakers drew up new redistricting rules.
MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes host Chris Hayes went after Democrat campaign chair Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., on Thursday night for his tentative plan to run against freshman Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., after new redistricting for the state was released.
Immediately after the new district map was proposed, Maloney, the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), was faced with the choice of running against a Republican in district 18 or primarying Jones in district 17, a more reliably blue district.
Maloney has expressed that he’s considering running against Mondaire, which has annoyed Democrats and, in this case, MSNBC host Chris Hayes, who pulled no punches in his rebuke of the opportunistic lawmaker.
Political commentator Chris Hayes during an interview on October 13, 2021 -- (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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"And in the wake of this new map, we have seen action from one member of Congress that I have to say, it is among the most egregious political malpractice I have ever seen in my life," Hayes declared.
He then explained in an exasperated tone, "Within half an hour of this new map being released, Sean Patrick Maloney announces on Twitter that if the maps are finalized, he will in abandon his current district, and run instead in the neighboring redrawn 17th district. But the 17th district already has a sitting Democratic member of congress."
FILE - Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., in 2019. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS
"His name is Mondaire Jones, a young black man – freshman – now facing a primary from the head of the DCCC, the person whose job it is to keep the Democratic majority by winning difficult races," Hayes continued.
Hayes reported that Mondaire’s district is an "easier one for Democrats" to control than Maloney’s current district.
"But rather than putting his money where his mouth is and running in the slightly harder district, Sean Patrick Maloney is abandoning it. Even though he says he is only shifting district because of where his home is," Hayes criticized.
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Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., speaks before the Supreme Court on April 15, 2021, on his legislation to expand the Supreme Court.
Then came the host’s searing indictment of Maloney’s consideration of switching districts. "Okay, but maybe you could’ve waited more than 25 minutes to announce that, A; B, you don’t have to run living in the district. And C, your decision still puts a freshman Democrat at risk. Like you’re going to primary a freshman Democrat. Who is going to run the 17th?"
The anchor then mentioned a personal frustration he had with Maloney’s decision, stating, "Now I should say for full transparency, as I’ve said before, my brother works for the representative from the 16th district of New York, Jamal Bowman who is also implicated in all this chaos."
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"Because it’s possible that in the face of a primary from Maloney, Mondaire Jones could move to the 16th district and primary the incumbent there who is Jamal Bowman," he continued, adding that he has "tried very hard to keep clear of this conflict" because his brother works for Bowman.
Still, Hayes claimed he had to speak up. "But this is such an outlandishly egregious thing to do, I seriously cannot believe it."
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