MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell and NBC News reporter Garrett Haake had an awkward exchange on air Thursday after the Capitol Hill specialist used the term “pro-life” during a segment.
Mitchell discussed how Rep. Nancy Mace had expressed reservations about GOP abortion laws in an interview on Wednesday. “This probably isn’t the way to start the week,” Mace had said.
As Mitchell recalled, Mace “spoke very passionately about why she felt it was the wrong tone for her caucus to pursue this abortion law and why it was unfair to women, especially women who have been victims of rape or incest or other forms of sexual abuse. violence.”
Mitchell pointed out that Mace eventually voted in favor of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, as well as a resolution condemning attacks on pregnancy centers.
“Explain that,” Mitchell asked Haake, who replied that Mace “told reporters after she was — as she described herself — ‘pro life’ at the end of the day.”
“She felt it was important to vote for these measures, despite their potentially politically harmful or politically unattractive appearance, if you will,” Haake added before being cut.
“Let me interrupt for a moment and say that ‘pro-life’ is a term they – a whole group – want to use, but that’s not an accurate description,” Mitchell said. The The Bharat Express News style book advises against use that term, except when it’s part of a quote, as Haake explained.
“I use it because that’s the term she used to describe herself, Andrea,” he said.
“I understand,” Mitchell acknowledged. A long and uncomfortable silence followed.
“Anyway, that was her statement,” she continued, moving on to discuss how the truth-troubled Rep. George Santos (R-NY) responds to calls for his resignation.
