MSNBC host Chris Matthews praised former acting Attorney General Sally Yates on Monday for her congressional testimony, saying she was obviously "attractive" and complimenting her "nice southern accent."
Matthews criticized Trump for trying to distract the media and American people with his tweet Monday calling Yates' testimony "old news."
Sally Yates made the fake media extremely unhappy today --- she said nothing but old news!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2017
Matthews went on to praise Yates and said Trump is picking the wrong person to make enemies with since she was fired by the president in late January for telling Justice Department lawyers not to "defend his recent executive order halting the Syrian refugee program and temporarily barring citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States," according to the Washington Free Beacon.
"I have to say that just watching her today, I wouldn't want to be against her," Matthews said. "Unflappable, attractive, obviously, very well-spoken, that nice southern accent, standing up there right in the face of Ted Cruz, when Cruz was being, I thought, pretty nasty."
Washington Post correspondent Greg Miller agreed with Matthews and said Yates really had "command" of the room and that she "strongly presented" the information that was asked of her.
"Some of them look nervous or they don't know how to do it straight," Matthews said. "She was straight across the table. There was a power to that intellectual and moral confidence that she showed today that I think is driving Trump crazy."
Matthews' comments about Yates' appearance and accent did not go over well on Twitter. Several people, many of whom are part of the "resistance" movement against the Trump administration, called his comments "sexist."
WHY is this STILL the norm? (When I do Today Show, people comment on my clothes more than the content.) Can we TRY to be more aware? #Sad https://t.co/JLboHbJ2bC
— Jennifer Jolly (@JenniferJolly) May 8, 2017
CHRIS MATTHEWS DID NOT JUST SAY SALLY YATES WAS "ATTRACTIVE" AND HAD A NICE VOICE HE DID NOT JUST GO THERE WTF MSNBC
— Xeni Jardin (@xeni) May 8, 2017
I'm strangely bothered that, amongst other things, Chris Matthews felt the need to point out that Sally Yates is attractive.
— Jodi Beggs (@jodiecongirl) May 8, 2017
hey, chris matthews, sally yates is not applying to be your date. no one cares if you find her attractive nor pleasant! you're a sexist pig!
— Thought Center ❄️ (@ThoughtCenter) May 8, 2017
Chris Matthews uses adjective describe former USAG Sally Yates as "attractive."
Fuck. That. So. Much.
— L'insegnante (@___sheisfierce) May 8, 2017
Matthews' comments even got the attention of Media Matters for America, a left-wing advocacy group, which posted the clip on its Twitter page.
Chris Matthews: When Sally Yates testified to the Senate, she was "attractive, obviously" https://t.co/tXQn5WPlAt
— Media Matters (@mmfa) May 8, 2017