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MSNBC Traces Roots of 'Trumpism' to Breitbart, Panelist Suggests New Name for the Site: 'Right Wing, Intolerant, Mean-Spirited News
Bill Kristol (Image source: YouTube/MSNBC)

MSNBC Traces Roots of 'Trumpism' to Breitbart, Panelist Suggests New Name for the Site: 'Right Wing, Intolerant, Mean-Spirited News

"The beating heart of 'Trumpism' started at Breitbart."

MSNBC "Morning Joe" panel offered critical reaction to Wednesday's news of Breitbart News Chairman Stephen Bannon being tapped to take over as CEO of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

During one segment, Bill Kristol, a regular panelist and founder of The Weekly Standard, was asked to speculate on why Trump would make this choice. Kristol started by recalling his friend, the late Andrew Breitbart. "I knew Andrew well. And, he was a troublemaker but a goodhearted person who would not — I mean, I hate that it's called Breitbart News," said Kristol, adding, "You know, if they called it 'Right Wing, Intolerant, Mean-Spirited News,' that would be fine," sparking laughter on the set.

Kristol also said that the "Morning Joe" discussion of Breitbart News was a "disservice to Andrew's memory," considering that, just three months ago, the online news outlet called Kristol a "renegade Jew" for not supporting Mr. Trump.

Watch the exchange.

The segment continued with Robert Costa of the Washington Post tying the roots of "Trumpism" to the early years of Breitbart.com, following the death of the site's founder.

Costa talked about Breitbart's evolution from a news aggregation website to its current state. Explaining the changes made after Bannon and Larry Solof took control of the company, Costa said, "This is where the roots of Trumpism before Trump really starts to marinate."

Listing the op-eds Sen. Jeff Sessons (R-Ala.) published on Breitbart and interviews with Sarah Palin as evidence, Costa continued, "This anti-illegal immigration strain of the right-wing Republican populism starts at Breitbart in 2010-2011 as part of the Tea Party movement."

Host Joe Scarborough interrupted Costa to ask, "So, Trumpism started at Breitbart?"

The Post writer replied, "The beating heart of 'Trumpism' started at Breitbart."

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