OPINION | Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those held by Sarah Palin.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said race relations in the United States are a world different than when she first grew up in Alabama— rejecting claims they have gotten worse over time.
As people on the Left and members of mainstream media continue to peddle the line that Trump has worsen race relations in the country, NBC News sought to get Rice’s opinion on the matter.
BizPac Review reports NBC News’ Sheinelle Jones asked Rice a “loaded question” concerning race in the country. Rice, seeing the ploy coming, cut Jones question off and slammed its sentiments.
Check out this interaction:
“There are people who will say it feels worse now when we’re talking about race and that it feels like a divisive environment –” Jones began.
Rice cut her off before she could even finish getting her words out.
“It sure doesn’t feel worse than when I grew up in Jim Crow Alabama,” Rice shot back. “So let’s drop this notion that we’re worse race relations today than we were in the past. That means we’ve made no progress. Really?”
“I think the hyperbole about how much worse it is isn’t doing us any good,” Rice then said. “This country’s never going to be colorblind — we had the initial original sin of slavery. It’s still with us.”
Jones pressed further but was met by another shutdown by Rice:
“But people will say, you know what, it’s top-down, it starts with the president and it starts with the words he uses,” the journalist said, the displeasure on her face clear for all to see.
“Oh, come on, alright,” Rice countered, shutting Jones down. “I would be the first to say we need to watch our language about race. We need to watch that we don’t use dog whistles to people… but when we start saying, ‘Oh, you know, it’s worse today,’ no, they’re not.”
Jones went after Trump earlier in the interview, again citing others to get her intent across as she mentioned the president’s remark about listening to foreign entities if they had information on political rivals.
“Critics have suggested that he’s almost put a for-sale sign on the upcoming election,” Jones said. “Do you worry that he’s done that?”
“Let’s not overstate this, alright?” Rice said, again stopping the NBC anchor in her tracks. “People say things, the president has a tendency to want to say provocative things.”
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