MSNBC’s Joy Reid compares possible arrest of Texas Democrats to Fugitive Slave Act

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Media top headlines July 14

Fauci getting criticized for saying 'no doubt' children 3 years and older should wear masks, a CNN anchor dismissing critical race theory as a creation of Republicans, and a Texas State Democrat getting mocked for calling himself a 'fugitive' after fleeing the state to block voting bills round out today's top media headlines

MSNBC’s "ReidOut" namesake Joy Reid on Tuesday compared threats to arrest Texas House Democrats who left the state to the Fugitive Slave Act. 

"I have to talk to you about this threat to have you all arrested when you return to Texas and supposedly to track you down like the Fugitive Slave Act is still in force now," Reid said to her guest, Rep. Chris Turner. "What do you make of that, those threats?"

TEXAS STATE DEMOCRAT MOCKED FOR CALLING HIMSELF 'FUGITIVE' AFTER FLEEING STATE TO BLOCK VOTING BILLS

Turner responded that they’re "empty threats," but Reid’s comparison to the Fugitive Slave Act raised eyebrows. 

MSNBC host Joy Reid compared threats to arrest members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus who left the state to the Fugitive Slave Act. 

The Fugitive Slave Act was an 1850 law that amended a prior law requiring all escaped slaves be returned to their owners upon their capture. It forced free states in the North to cooperate and was widely despised by abolitionists.

MSNBC’S JOY REID CONTINUES TO MAKE CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS THREE YEARS AFTER HOMOPHOBIC BLOG SCANDAL

The Democratic lawmakers ditched their home state on Monday to prevent a quorum from a special session that would tackle election security bills. They attacked Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans on Tuesday for allegedly trying to suppress the votes of minorities, and they have documented their exploits on social media, gloating about "fugitive" status, boasting of their "sacrifice," and even singing "We Shall Overcome."

NewBusters managing editor Curtis Houck joked after hearing Reid’s comparison and her praise of the Texas Democrats, "Ah, yes. Texas Democrats taking Miller Lites on a maskless private jet to Washington D.C. is just like storming the beaches of Normandy, going building to building in the Battle of Fallujah, and surviving the cold winter of 1777 in Valley Forge." 

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Reid, who has a long history of spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation, is no stranger to making outlandish comments. In 2018 she infamously claimed that homophobic comments on her old blog, "The Reid Report," were not written by her in a story that shocked the media industry. She blamed hackers and claimed to enlist the FBI to investigate her implausible claim, but she became emotional on air when her story fell apart.

Reid admitted it was unlikely she was hacked, but she claimed that she didn’t recall making the offensive remarks, for which she apologized anyway. The bizarre saga damaged her reputation, but she has since been promoted from the weekends to weekdays on MSNBC.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.