MSNBC reporter Chris Jansing called out White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest to his face when he denied President Obama’s sharp anti-GOP rhetoric on Thursday’s Morning Joe.
On Wednesday, President Obama gave a speech on the Iran nuclear agreement where he criticized opponents of the deal. During the address, Obama didn’t hesitate to call out Republicans and compare them to Iranian hardliners, saying they had "common cause."
Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough asked if that was necessary.
"I would say if you compare Republicans who fought in the war with Iranian hard-liners, that would be defined as not pulling any punches," Scarborough said. "Was that necessary?"
Earnest defended the President’s remarks.
"I think what he did is make the point they are making the same argument that it's hard-liners in Iran suggesting they should kill the deal and its Republicans here in Washington, D.C., suggesting the deal be killed," Earnest said. "There’s no doubt they're making the same argument."
Jansing said that Obama also added that Iran hard-liners chant "death to America" when he made the comparison to Republicans.
"He said these are folks who are chanting death to America. He added that little phrase in there," Jansing said.
Earnest said that comment was at a different part of the speech, but Jansing said that was incorrect and called out Earnest on it.
"No, it wasn't. I’ll read you the quote," Jansing said. "’If those hard-liners chanting death to America who have been most opposed to the deal they're making common cause with the Republican caucus.’ It was all one sentence."