Expert CNN 'analysis' explains how Maxine Waters' recent incendiary comments 'expose Republican hypocrisy'

Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters may have unwittingly given Derek Chauvin’s defense team ammo for an appeal should the jury hand down a guilty verdict, thanks to these recent remarks:

This sitting congressman possibly destroyed a whole trial with just a few words of incitement. pic.twitter.com/fZzaIMtKmK

— William Bishop (@TVGBadger) April 19, 2021

Naturally, CNN is on it, with another trademark piping-hot “analysis”:

Waters' comments on Chauvin trial pour fuel on the fire — and expose Republican hypocrisy. | Analysis by @StCollinson https://t.co/qR7DSOYFuJ pic.twitter.com/JByP7NIiDd

— CNN (@CNN) April 20, 2021

Annnnnd we’re off! Take it away, Stephen Collinson:

Incendiary warnings by Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters about the potential outcome of the trial of the ex-police officer charged with killing George Floyd could spike tensions, were legally unwise and raise questions of Democratic double standards.

But they also drew out the hypocrisy of pro-Donald Trump Republicans over incitement to violence and ought not to overshadow the profound issues of race and justice raised by a harrowing four weeks in court.

This situation has literally nothing to do with Donald Trump or pro-Donald Trump Republicans. Maxine Waters — and Maxine Waters alone — made these comments, and she’s got a pretty extensive history of making inflammatory comments. But Collinson seems determined to make this about Republicans’ reactions to Waters’ comments, as if that’s the story here.

And Collinson is not only taking the opportunity to condemn Republicans, but he’s bending over backwards to excuse Waters’ behavior:

The context of the comments by Waters — amid the immediate tension surrounding the trial and also filtered through the decades of racial struggles and the history of police violence toward Black Americans — is crucial.

…

Waters, 82, has a long history of combative political speech that even observers without a political axe to grind might consider inflammatory. Yet there are also many examples of White, male politicians who have also clearly used similar and even more dangerous rhetoric — most notably Trump himself. So double standards can work both ways.

Waters’ comments undoubtedly channel the deep frustration of many Black Americans about their treatment by law enforcement officers and the burden of race that non-minority Americans cannot truly understand. It also follows multiple instances every year of Black Americans being shot by police in situations where Whites would likely have been treated differently.

That doesn’t make Waters’ comments appropriate, nor does it make Republicans the bad guys here. This is a pathetic excuse for journalism from CNN — and it’s completely on-brand for the ostensible “Real News” network.

FFS, GOP hypocrisy isn’t always the “real” story when Dems screw up. pic.twitter.com/sHhK6zVe5h

— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) April 20, 2021

Write a caption saying “Republicans pounce” without writing “Republians pounce.” https://t.co/bEUP20RcDq

— Rachael Larimore (@RachaelBL) April 20, 2021

CNN’s got this down to an art form.

They only expose Republican hypocrisy… but not Democrat hypocrisy? pic.twitter.com/UpgvlwauVt

— Emperor (@emperorknowbest) April 20, 2021

Wouldn’t it expose hypocrisy on both sides?

— Pyotr (@eviltchaikovsky) April 20, 2021

Well it's nice you got half the story right. Until you are also willing to address the hypocrisy on the left nothing is going to change.

— Star-crossed_Liason (@SherriShultz) April 20, 2021

CNN is theoretically capable of understanding that incitement to violence is always bad, regardless of the political party of the person (or people) doing it. And yet, in reality, they just don’t seem to be able to figure it out, or at least acknowledge it in a so-called “analysis.”