MSNBC Under Fire for Harassing Robert Muller at Church on Easter
News outlet faces criticism after following Mueller to church
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News outlet MSNBC faced enormous backlash after confronting Special Counsel Robert Mueller at a church where he was attending an Easter service with his family.
MSNBC reporter Mike Viqueira was reporting from outside the church.
"So the — Bob Mueller, the director — the former director of the FBI, of course, the special prosecutor — special counsel attended church services just across Lafayette Park here at St. John's Episcopal Church," Viqueira told MSNBC's, Joy Reid.
"Of course, that is known as the church of the President. President Trump and Melania Trump were there just recently."
"We knew that he was going to be, he's been there. He’s been there in the past, so we waited for him," Viqueria continued.
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"Easter services tried to be as respectful as possible. He came out the side door of the church. I did have a couple of prepared questions to ask him. Let's just roll the tape."
"Sir, could I ask you a couple of questions? Will you testify before Congress, sir?" Viqueira asked Mueller.
"No comment," Mueller responded.
"Are you sure about that, sir?" Viqueira asked.
"No comment," Mueller replied.
"If he were anybody but the president, would Mr. Trump be indicted, sir?" Viqueira pressed.
"Sir, why didn't you make a recommendation to Congress one way or the other? Did the attorney general accurately characterize your positions on conspiracy and obstruction, sir?"
Mueller then drove off in his car.
"This is, you know, what some people would characterize as an ambush interview of a man coming out of Easter services at a church," Viqueira later told Reid.
"Some passersby weren't happy that we were doing that."
Then the backlash on Twitter began.
WATCH: Special Counsel Mueller is questioned by @MSNBC about the details of his report, and whether he will testify about the report before Congress. pic.twitter.com/yzjl7p6svF
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 21, 2019
Hello @MSNBC. Today is Easter Sunday, the holiest day of the Christian calendar. Some of the faithful were murdered today while they worshiped. But you ambush Robert Mueller outside of his church and chuckle about it afterward. This is loathesome. Shame on you. https://t.co/30BAoivnVp
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) April 21, 2019
.@MSNBC just proved itself to be the “human troll network” and is also doubling down apparently proud of this grotesque display of human indecency after a workship service on a spiritual holiday. #selfown https://t.co/TqiTWaq8Bn
— M. Zuhdi Jasser زهدي جاسر (@DrZuhdiJasser) April 21, 2019
So. Wrong. This is what gives legitimate journalists a bad rep. It's Easter and he's at church. And the banner: 'Mueller Spotted...'. He's not an escaped zoo animal. I know it's a holiday and interns may be ruining things but really @MSNBC ? https://t.co/l9ssgxNZ5x
— Julie Wilcox WX (@JulieWilcoxWX) April 21, 2019
I’m far from a Mueller fan, but this harassment outside Easter service is outrageous. @MSNBC often typifies the very worst of the dismal state of “journalism” in America today. Fourth Estate, please do better! https://t.co/0BmvJBn12y
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) April 21, 2019
Dude. #Mueller is a partisan hack and jackass but leave him alone while he goes to church on Easter #mediafail https://t.co/rBvKH70hqK
— Carl Higbie (@CarlHigbie) April 21, 2019
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Patricia Heaton tweeted:
"Hello @MSNBC. Today is Easter Sunday, the holiest day of the Christian calendar. Some of the faithful were murdered today while they worshiped. But you ambush Robert Mueller outside of his church and chuckle about it afterward. This is loathsome. Shame on you."
Steve Cortes tweeted:
"I’m far from a Mueller fan, but this harassment outside Easter service is outrageous. @MSNBC often typifies the very worst of the dismal state of 'journalism' in America today. Fourth Estate, please do better!"
Last month, MSNBC hosts attempted to flip the script by spreading conspiracy theories that Robert Mueller has been "compromised."
After the Russia probe found that the Trump campaign didn't collude with Russian agents to affect the outcome of the 2016 election, host Joy Reid suggested that Attorney General William Barr must have orchestrated a "cover-up" designed to protect the president.
Speaking with Above the Law editor Elie Mystal and former Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman Reid claimed that Barr "stopped the investigation" and somehow forced Mueller to change the outcome of the almost 2-year-long Russia probe.
