MSNBC host Chris Matthews said on his show "Hardball" on Wednesday that some of President Donald Trump's supporters were "dogs," and, along with the panel, suggested that Trump's idea of America excluded people of color.
Former talk show host Montel Williams criticized Trump for not responding strongly enough to anti-Semitic attacks in the U.S., adding that "25 percent" of Trump's supporters agreed with his "nasty rhetoric."
"So the dog whistle was heard by the dogs," Matthews said, in an apparent reference to Trump's aforementioned supporters.
"Yeah, and the campaign is all about protecting America," Williams said.
Williams said that there was a part of Trump's base that wanted the president "to be more anti-everybody," and suggested that blacks would be the next target of hatred in the United States with Trump as president.
"One, we start with Muslims. Now, we're with Jews. Tomorrow it's blacks," Williams said.
Matthews said Trump actually started with blacks, referencing when Trump pushed the idea that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.
NBC correspondent Katy Tur and Matthews both implied that when Trump talks about "protecting America" and its identity, he really means protecting people of northern European decent.
"Does he mean northern Europeans? Is it ethnic?" Matthews asked, after Tur pointed out Trump's message focused on American identity.
Tur said she would let the audience decide, but she thought it was "clear" that Trump meant northern Europeans.
"I'll let them decide, but it's clear?" Matthews laughed while repeating Tur's comments.
Tur said she thought there was a reason Trump started his campaign by "going after Latinos."