MSNBC slams McCarthy for joke about 'hitting' Pelosi with gavel after avoiding real-life Barbara Boxer assault

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In media news today, Chris Cuomo gets ripped for accusing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of holding the U.S. 'hostage' to COVID, critics slam DC Mayor Muriel Bowser for violating her own mask mandate, and ABC's political director calls out the Biden admin's 'confusing' COVID messaging

MSNBC is going all-in with its coverage vilifying House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., accusing him of suggesting violence towards House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., all while after avoiding the real-life violence of a once-prominent female Democrat. 

McCarthy has been facing Democratic backlash over a joke he made to members of Tennessee's Republican congressional delegation at a weekend fundraiser where he was presented an oversized gavel amid an optimistic outlook of retaking the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterms. 

"I want you to watch Nancy Pelosi hand me that gavel," McCarthy said to the roaring crowd. "It'll be hard not to hit her with it."

While Democratic lawmakers are calling on McCarthy to apologize or resign, MSNBC has been unloading on the GOP leader. 

MSNBC CONTINUES AVOIDING BARBARA BOXER ASSAULT-ROBBERY JUST DAYS AFTER INVITING HER ON-AIR

"Deadline: White House" anchor Nicolle Wallace attempted to link McCarthy's joke to the "deadly insurrection" on Jan. 6 over threats leveled against the speaker that day. 

"He's joking about violence towards Speaker Pelosi," Wallace said on Monday.

Wallace was far from the only MSNBC anchor to invoke Jan. 6. 

"Part of me hears that and thinks this is the thing that Kevin McCarthy has said before and he just kind of repeated a joke, dusted it off the shelf. But I think after January 6, after we had mobs of people stalking the halls of the capitol saying, ‘Nancy, where are you?’ It takes a whole different kind of tone for him to make that kind of joke," weekend anchor Joshua Johnson said on Sunday.

MSNBC political analyst and AP reporter Jonathan Lemire described McCarthy's remarks as "inappropriate" and "beyond the pale" on Monday's installment of "Morning Joe," declaring "Jokes about hitting women are not funny. Period." 

NBC News' Capitol Hill correspondent Leigh Ann Caldwell also noted the "silence" of GOP lawmakers who have yet to weigh in on McCarthy's comments. 

Speaking of silence, no one on MSNBC's airwaves had anything to say about the actual violence that was committed against former Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who was the victim of an assault and robbery last Monday. 

MSNBC, ABC, NBC COMPLETELY AVOID BARBARA BOXER ASSAULT-ROBBERY, CBS OFFERS LESS THAN 7 SECONDS OF COVERAGE

The Peacock network went the entire week without mentioning the crime committed against Boxer, who was confronted by two thieves who shoved her and took her cellphone while she was walking down a street in her hometown of Oakland. 

However, the most bizarre aspect of MSNBC's blackout of the incident was how Boxer herself was welcomed on-air just two days before the assault. 

In fact, it was Johnson who invited her to appear on his weekend program "The Week with Joshua Johnson" to discuss Pelosi's Jan. 6 select committee, but apparently had no time to mention the assault his guest was swept up in roughly 48 hours later. 

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The lack of coverage towards Boxer's assault has become the latest example of the media's efforts to downplay the growing violent crimes that have plagued Democrat-run cities across the country.

Boxer, 80, served in the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 2017, when she was succeeded by Kamala Harris. Boxer also served for a decade in the House of Representatives.

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The incident occurred in Oakland, where Democratic Mayor Libby Schaaf has held office since 2015. 

The Oakland Police Department's robbery division is investigating the incident. A $2,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest. 

Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.