Chris Matthews slapped with accusations of inappropriate sexual comments by former guest

MSNBC' Chis Matthews is not accused of criminal behavior like other men in his field who’ve been called to task in the Me Too era. But he shares a set of sexist attitudes that have profoundly shaped political journalism and attitudes that are just beginning to be confronted.

Matthews’s supporters are right that he was a giant in political journalism. They are right that he left a mark on how we understand politics. But his departure isn’t a loss. It’s an opportunity to rethink how we should and should not cover politics and power.

Journalist Laura Bassett penned an op-ed in the online magazine GQ recounting her experience with sexist remarks from MSNBC’s Chris Matthews.

Bassett, a former Huffington Post reporter, noted that Matthews was the unnamed media figure she wrote about in a 2017 essay, who said he’d “fall in love with her” while they were getting their makeup done before a TV hit.

“Five minutes later, I was sitting next to him on the set, under bright lights, with a microphone clipped to my shirt and three cameras pointed at me,” Bassett wrote. “He asked me questions about sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump, and I had to look him in the eyes as I responded. I stumbled over my answers and forgot basic vocabulary words, the uncomfortable moment in the makeup room crowding my mind.”

Oh boy. I believe it. I’ve seen him get a little too flirty with his attractive female guests enough to think he might have continued his comments during the commercials. And she says she’s heard from others:

“And after I published a story about it, even though I didn’t name him, dozens of people reached out to say they knew exactly who it was,” she wrote. “Many had similar stories.”

Matthews has made misogynistic remarks on TV for many years

The hallmark of Matthews’s on-air behavior over the years was to diminish the credibility of a female guest by commenting on her looks. During his sign-off Monday night, Matthews offered this apology:

Compliments on a woman’s appearance that some men, including me, might have once incorrectly thought were okay were never okay. Not then and certainly not today, and for making such comments in the past, I’m sorry.

Matthews’s poor treatment of his female guests is well-known: Media Matters has tracked his conduct for years.

One particularly egregious example comes from 2007. Amid a turbulent moment for the economy, Matthews had on respected financial journalist Erin Burnett of CNBC. Instead of treating her as a serious guest, he toyed with her and demeaned her:

“Could you get a little closer to the camera?” Matthews said to Burnett. “My — what is it?” Burnett asked, seeming to think something was wrong with the equipment. Matthews then said: “Come on in closer. No, come in — come in further — come in closer. Really close.” As Burnett adjusted, he said: “Just kidding! You look great! Anyway, thanks, Erin, it’s great to — look at that look. You’re great.”

He concluded “you’re a knockout.”



In the video Burnett looks a bit annoyed, but she mostly smiles through the ordeal. She’s a professional and there to advance her career, not to make an enemy out of Matthews. But by allowing these types of scenarios to play out again and again, MSNBC was telling TV viewers that this behavior was okay.