Tiffany Cross says Meghan McCain ‘should definitely lose’ her job

Cross, an MSNBC host, gave Meghan McCain the read of a lifetime

If you visit Tiffany Cross‘s Instagram account, you’ll encounter a harsh address to Meghan McCain.

In her sermon, Cross referenced a recent episode of The View in which McCain criticized senators Tammy Duckworth and Mazie Hirono, who threatened to pull their support from the administration of President Joe Biden for its exclusion of senior Asian American voices, before receiving assurances from the administration that it would galvanize greater efforts toward inclusion.

Tiffany Cross (Photo courtesy of Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics

“We’ve only had one Asian American host co-host this show,” said McCain of The View. “So does that mean that one of us should be leaving at some point because there’s not enough representation?”

To which Cross replied, “Yes. One of you should definitely lose your job. I’ll give you two guesses but you’ll only need one.”

She continued, “let’s talk identity politics.” Citing the three feminist writers who coined the term, including Barbara Smith, one of the most influential Black activists of the 20th century Feminist, Cross informed her followers that “the original intent of the phrase was articulating Black women’s struggle at the nexus a race, gender, and class oppressions.”

Read More: Meghan McCain draws criticism for ‘identity politics’ comments on ‘The View’

Then to Meghan, whose sole talent as Cross called it is “finding great Black hairstylists and benefiting from nepotism,” Cross said “we’ve watched you take it, twist it, braid it and lock it so it benefits the warped presentation of your own clumsy and ill-informed thoughts.”

Cross went on to address the subject of identity politics as related to the recent Presidential election. Cross pointed out that identity has always largely been a necessary component of politics, and referenced particular instances where that’s glaringly obvious today.

Medal Of Honor Screening & Panel Discussion Moderated By Meghan McCain At The US Navy Memorial Burke Theater In Washington, DC
Meghan McCain (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Netflix)

“Now, name me any group that does not bring their identity into the ballot box. When Maga-donning Trump supporters showed up in droves, how often did we hear the term ‘white economic anxiety?’ And note how white voters are always given cute little nicknames, like Joe the Plumber or Soccer Mom or NASCAR Dad. All of that, Megan, is identity politics.”

In especially pointed lines targeting Meghan’s blindness to her privilege and her ignorance about the issues, Cross said, “perhaps you assume that a person’s ethnic identity may afford them some advantage. It’s called projection—when one unconsciously ascribes traits that you don’t like about yourself and attribute them to someone else. Like, I don’t know, if my only talent was who I was related to I may assume that everyone else had some similar unfair advantage, you know.”

Read More: Tiffany Cross challenges Nina Turner for ‘bowl of sh–‘ remark

In a more compassionate moment, Cross encouraged Meghan to consider “being an ally instead of an adversary,” and offered data pertaining to the growing population of Asian American Pacific Islander within the eligible voter community, and their impactful contribution to President Biden’s election.

To close, Cross referenced her own experience as a woman of color in the world of broadcast journalism. “Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in this space and as someone who grew up yearning to see my lived experience reflected back to me, and then have to crawl claw and fight at every turn to take up space in broadcast media, I simply ‘ask how dare you?’”

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!

Mentioned in this article:

More About: