MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell and NBC News reporter Garrett Haake had an uncomfortable exchange on air Thursday after the Capitol Hill specialist used the term “pro-life” during a segment.
Mitchell was discussing how Rep. Nancy Mace had expressed reservations about GOP abortion legislation in an interview Wednesday. “This is probably not the way to start off the week,” Mace had said.
As Mitchell recalled, Mace “spoke very passionately about why she thought it was the wrong tone for her caucus to be pursuing this abortion legislation and why it was unfair to women, especially women who have been subjected to rape or incest or other forms of sexual violence.”
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Mitchell pointed out that Mace ultimately voted for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, as well as a resolution condemning attacks on pregnancy centers.
“Explain that,” Mitchell asked Haake, who replied that Mace “told reporters after the fact that at the end of the day, she was—as she described herself—‘pro life.’”
“She felt it was important to vote for these measures despite their potentially politically damaging or politically unappealing appearance, if you will,” Haake added before being cut off.
“Let me just interrupt and say that ‘pro-life’ is a term that they—an entire group—wants to use, but that is not an accurate description,” Mitchell said. The Associated Press Stylebook advises against using that term, except if it’s part of a quotation, as Haake explained.
“I’m using it because that’s the term she used to describe herself, Andrea,” he said.
“I understand,” Mitchell acknowledged. A lengthy and awkward silence ensued.
“Anyway, that was her explanation,” she continued, moving on to discuss how truth-troubled Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is reacting to calls for his resignation.
