Editor's note: The author of this piece was previously fired from the Washington Free Beacon in response to investigative reporting by Dylan Byers.
Dylan Byers, the NBC News tech blogger who previously worked as a political journalist breaking news for outlets such as Politico and CNN, has finally weighed in on the Nancy Pelosi hair salon scandal.
Byers expressed his political opinion on Twitter, the popular social networking website, writing:
America is beset by internal problems and external threats. We face severe political and cultural tensions, a global pandemic and threats from foreign adversaries. But I, for one, believe there is no issue so pressing today as a legislator's visit to a San Francisco hair salon.
The poorly worded tweet, with its sloppy repetition of "threats" and blatant attempt to diminish the House Speaker's female achievement by referring to her as a mere "legislator," received significant engagement online. Byers's post got hundreds more replies than it did "likes" or "retweets," an internet phenomenon sometimes described as "getting ratioed."
Needless to say, the blogger's assessment that "no issue" is more "pressing" than Pelosi's attempt to thwart state health guidelines while accusing a small business owner and single mom of orchestrating a "set up" was not shared by many of his former colleagues in the political journalism industry. They were more inclined to see Pelosi as a hapless victim, because she is their friend and they care about her.
Byers's indefensible affinity for soccer, a so-called sport that is fundamentally at odds with American values, is more widely shared among professional journalists.
⚽ NBC + NBCSN + Peacock Premier League schedule for September #servicejournalism pic.twitter.com/qh52uMkni5
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) August 31, 2020