MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace referred to the 2008 Republican presidential campaign she worked on as a "scandal" Tuesday and appeared to liken her experiences to those of women being asked about the sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein.
Wallace made the comment while interviewing actress Julianne Moore, who portrayed John McCain's 2008 running mate Sarah Palin in the 2012 HBO movie Game Change. Wallace and Moore were discussing Weinstein, the powerful movie mogul who faces allegations of harassment and assault from numerous women.
"Well, as you know from playing Sarah Palin, there were a lot of people after the fact that said, 'How could you work on that campaign and not talk about what you saw?'" Wallace said to Moore. "So, I know what it's like on the backside of a scandal to be questioned for what you knew and what you saw."
Game Change depicted Palin's meteoric rise and fall during her ultimately failed campaign as John McCain's running mate, and it suggested Palin was mentally unstable. Wallace, who was portrayed in the movie as horrified by Palin's behavior and ineptitude, called the film "true enough to make me squirm."
Since the release of the initial New York Times report detailing decades of sexual harassment allegations against Weinstein, more damaging stories have come to light. Accusers range from famous actresses to television journalists, and they have offered similar accounts of abuse at Weinstein's hands.
Moore said she had no idea of the stories surrounding Weinstein until the first story came out last week, calling his behavior "egregious and shocking."
Asked by Wallace what it was like in the industry for actresses in their 20s, Moore said it was "difficult" to feel like one has a voice equal to powerful men.