(JTA) — Patrick Buchanan may lose his job as an MSNBC commentator because of statements in his new book that have been called racist and anti-Semitic.
MSNBC President Phil Griffin told The New York Times over the weekend that because of the anti-Semitic nature of some of the arguments in "Suicide of a Superpower," Buchanan might not be invited to return to his position at the station. Book chapter titles include "The End of White America" and "The Death of Christian America."
Griffin told the Times that he and Buchanan would meet to discuss his future with the network. Buchanan has been off the air since he began a book tour in October.
The Anti-Defamation League recently sent Griffin a letter urging the network to drop Buchanan as a commentator.
"In spite of his continuing role as a political commentator for the mainstream media, former Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan now increasingly advances an anti-Semitic, racist, and anti-immigrant ideology," the ADL says in its information pamphlet "Patrick Buchanan: Unrepentant Bigot." "Many of the views he holds are identical to those of self-declared ‘white nationalists.’
"Buchanan repeatedly demonizes Jews and minorities, and openly affiliates with white supremacists," the pamphlet says. "Among his frequent claims is that the sovereignty of the United States is being undermined by Israeli control and Mexican incursion, a belief which he disseminates on mainstream cable and network television and in his prolific writings."
A former official of the Nixon and Reagan administrations, Buchanan ran in the Republican Party primaries in 1992 and 1996 and as a Reform Party candidate in 2000. He has been accused in the past of making racially insensitive and anti-Semitic comments.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
