In the last few months, a new side of Brian Williams has emerged — still calm and collected and professional, but also clearly angrier, awfully close to Done With It. The MSNBC anchor is no longer mincing words when it comes to the Trumpists who remain in power, from zinging Ron Johnson to christening Ted Cruz “Kremlin Cruz.” On Tuesday night, he came for Greg Abbott, and for good reason: The Texas Governor had just vetoed a bill meant to protect dogs.
Williams ended the night’s episode of The 11th Hour by slamming all those, like Abbott, who aspire to Trump status. “You can gaslight with the best of them, you can lie with impunity,” Williams said. “Generally the rule is: Say or do the most shocking thing imaginable, and that’s how you stay on brand.”
He then zeroed in on Abbott, who on Friday nixed a bipartisan bill known as The Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, which would have made it illegal to chain up dogs without leaving them without drinkable water, adequate shade or shelter. Abbott’s reasoning? He said that “Texas is no place for this kind of micro-managing and over-criminalization.”
The move led to a hashtag “AbbottHatesDogs.”
Williams theorized why: He was kissing up to noted dog-hater Donald J. Trump, whom he clearly idolizes. And he had a hilariously crude-yet-articulate way of taking him to the woodshed.
“His state doesn’t have a dependable power grid, and yet he’s going to build his own wall on the border. And he’s being richly rewarded by a visit from his guy, Trump, next week,” Williams told his audience. “If Abbott wants to, say, run for President, he must be more further ensconced in a particular area of Trump’s anatomy than even Ron DeSantis of Florida. And that won’t be easy.”
Williams wasn’t done. He claimed the “pretend outrage over Critical Race Theory helps Abbott.” Ditto the “voter suppression bill he’s working hard to enact.” Ditto the “constitutional carry” bill, or as Williams witheringly dubbed it, the “guns-for-everyone legislation.”
“Remember the rules: When you’re trying to appeal to that Trump base, nothing can be shocking or outrageous enough,” Williams concluded. “Because Abbott figures apparently dogs can’t vote. And really, what have dogs ever done for us?”
Of course, dog lovers vote, too, as well as people who just don’t like animals suffering.
You can watch the segment in the video above.