‘Damn, White Men Get Breaks!’ MSNBC Guest Cannot Believe RNC May Hire Convicted Felon Paul Manafort

MSNBC panelists were stunned by the news that convicted felon Paul Manafort, who was eventually pardoned by then-President Donald Trump, may return to help with the Republican National Convention.

Manafort, who served as Trump’s campaign chair in 2016, was convicted of eight felonies in 2018, including five counts of filing false tax returns, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of failing to disclose a foreign bank account.

After Manafort’s convictions, Trump called him “a very good person” and claimed it was “a sad day for our country.”

“What was your first reaction to hearing he’s back?” asked Michael Steele, who was filling in for Nicolle Wallace on Deadline: White House.

Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann answered, “I thought it might be useful to remind people of exactly who he is,” continuing:

It’s worth remembering that Donald Trump is praising somebody who went to trial, as is his right. Paul Manafort was convicted by a jury of his peers of eight felonies, sort of widespread tax and bank fraud. He then pled guilty to more tax, more bank fraud, obstruction of justice. He admitted that he tampered with two witnesses while out on bail. That led to the judge revoking his being out on bail and sending him to jail.

He also, as you noted, had ordered that internal polling data be given to his colleague, Konstantin Kilimnik, who was found by the FBI to be closely associated with Russian intelligence. And actually, after the Biden administration took over, it was confirmed and reported that that…polling data went to Russia. It didn’t just go to his associate. That it actually did make its way all the way to the Kremlin.

So,  this is somebody who has a history, a litany, of felonies that are quite serious. That usually is not something that is on the resume of somebody who is campaign manager of one of the two major parties in the United States.

Princeton professor Eddie Glaude then gave his take:

“The idea that Paul Manafort, given what Andrew just laid out, can re-enter politics, boggles my mind. And to be honest with you, and I know this may sound a bit, you know, obsessive on my part — damn, White men get breaks, man! I mean, could you imagine?”

Glaude’s response caused the panel to burst into laughter.

“One more time, Eddie. One more time for the people who didn’t hear,” said Alexi McCammond with The Washington Post.

Glaude continued, “But could you imagine anybody else being able to do this? Whether it’s Trump or Manafort or whomever. It just blows my mind, Mike!”

“I got nothing,” Steele said while laughing.

Watch the clip above via MSNBC.

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