Joe Scarborough confronted an on-air correction from Marjorie Taylor Greene on “Actual Time With Invoice Maher” after repeatedly misstating the FACE Act’s title throughout a dialogue about Don Lemon’s arrest.
Each Scarborough and Greene served as Maher’s panelists for Friday’s episode of the HBO program, the place they shared their clashing stances on Lemon’s arrest, which took place following his presence at an anti-ICE protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota earlier this month.
Lemon faces expenses underneath two federal statutesconspiracy to deprive rights and violating the Freedom of Entry to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which partially prevents one from interfering with somebody’s First Modification proper of non secular freedom.
Greene made it clear that she “fully helps” the DOJ’s determination to indict the impartial journalist, claiming Lemon violated the FACE Act by disrupting a spot of worship and evaluating the parishioners to “white supremacists.”
“That’s not journalism, that’s activism,” the previous Congresswoman from Georgia acknowledged. “Disrupting a worship service, stopping folks’s proper to worship God, that could be a violation of the FACE Act … I don’t suppose that’s journalism. That’s not First Modification, stepping into and harassing folks in the course of church.”
After Greene concluded her level, Scarborough tried to leap in together with his personal level, however initially struggled to nail down the specifics of the case.
“If I can disagree right here, I believe the those who went into the church, that have been the protesters, if underneath the Religion Act,” Scarborough mentioned, gesturing to Greene for help.
Greene rapidly chimed in with a correction, noting “the FACE Act.” Nevertheless, Scarborough didn’t seem to listen to her, as he as soon as once more repeated “the Religion Act.”
Once more, Greene fact-checked Scarborough, telling the TV character that the federal regulation is named the “FACE Act.”
“Religion, proper,” Scarborough hit again. The 2 former politicians did this back-and-forth over the title a pair extra instances, till Scarborough realized his error.
“Oh, FACE,” he mentioned. “I believed it was, ‘You Gotta Have Religion,’ as a result of it was in (a) church. “
As Maher’s studio viewers erupted with laughter, Greene added, “The parishioners, the Christians, have religion and so they have been making an attempt to have church and Don Lemon and a bunch of activists got here in and harassed them to the purpose that youngsters have been crying.”
Scarborough doubled down on his stance, nevertheless, sharing, “No matter that act is, whether or not it’s the FACE Act or the Religion Act or the Faux Act, no matter act it’s, I believe the those who went in and disturbed that church, if the (DOJ) needs to prosecute them that’s definitely their proper to think about that.”
He continued: “I believe there needs to be form of a differentiation between if anyone’s stepping into there and saying, ‘I’m not with them. Can I ask you some questions?’ Since you’re going to have embeds in warfare, you’re going to have embeds in protests.”
Per Scarborough, he had “little question” that the arrests of journalists Lemon and Georgia Fort “meant to scare different reporters.”
Lemon expressed an analogous sentiment following his launch Friday, sharing with reporters, “There isn’t any extra necessary time than proper now, this very second, for a free and impartial media that shines a lightweight on the reality and holds these in energy accountable.”
He added: “Final evening, the DOJ despatched a staff of federal brokers to arrest me in the course of the evening, for one thing that I’ve been doing for the final 30 years — and that’s masking the information. The First Modification of the Structure protects that work for me and for numerous different journalists … I can’t be silenced.”
“Actual Time With Invoice Maher” airs new episodes Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.
