Russell Brand Calls Out MSNBC Journalist John Heilemann Over Ethics Of His Network

Popular MSNBC and NBC News host John Heilemann accused Fox News of deliberately reporting false news on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher show. The known journalist, Heilemann, started by calling out Fox News for continuously reporting false election fraud conspiracies.

Russell highlighted the bias in Heilemann's statement by kickstarting the arguments between the podcast host and journalist. He starts by questioning the right he has to condemn Fox News when MSNBC participates in the same act of deliberate false reporting. 

While the argument begins to heat up, Brand tackles Heilemann with heavy accusatory suggestions. He says, "it's difficult to suggest that's because these corporations operate as anything other than mouthpieces for their affiliate owners in BlackRock and Vanguard. We have to take responsibility for our own perspective."

In trying to bring more understanding to his claim, Brand lashes out by saying, "I've been on that MSNBC. Man, it was a propagandist nut-crackery over there." — referring to his time on MSNBC's Morning Joe show.

Although Brand has no background in journalism or has ever worked in any journalistic capacity, he implies that on the show — while raising his voice, "no one could concentrate, they didn't understand the basic tenets of journalism."

Continuing his argument, he says, "no one was willing to stick up for genuine American heroes like Edward Snowden. No one was willing to talk about Julian Assange and what he's suffered – trying to bring real journalism to the American people."

Citing his 2013 appearance on MSNBC's the Morning Joe show, Brand states their completely unshaken propagandistic views and behavior to Heilemann. In his words, "it was absurd the way they [The Morning Joe show] carried on. There was no one called Joe, it wasn't Morning, no one understood the basic tenets of journalism."

Reiterating Heilemann's lack of focus on MSNBC issues, Brand suggests that instead of attacking Fox News or other networks, MSNBC should place those efforts on improving itself. Then he goes on to echo an edited version of ex-President Trump's chant, "Make MSNBC better. Make MSNBC great again!"

As the tension continued to rise in the studio, Brand goes all out to say, "bickering about which propagandist network is the worst is not going to save a single American life, not improve the life of a single American child and not going to improve America's standing in the world, and the world needs a strong America, I'll tell you that."

While Brand continued to highlight the alleged hypocrisy of Heilemann and MSNBC, he states, "I think to sit within the castle of MSNBC throwing rocks at Fox News is ludicrous." Adding, "mate, just spiritually — if I may use that word in your great country — we have to take responsibility for our own perspective."

After much-arguing statements from Russell, Heilemann finally spoke to dismiss all the claims made by the podcast host. In his words, "it's not about bias, it's a false equivalency because you don't actually know anything about any of these organizations you're talking about. You've been on MSNBC once, big f***ing deal! You don't have a single actual fact."

Bill Maher, the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, was uncharacteristically mostly quiet and attentive throughout the debate. Although, Russell's highlight of MSNBC's the Morning Joe show brought him laughter and a bit of comic relief.

After Russell's use of Trump's oft-repeated election chant, Heilemann requests actual examples of cases MSNBC has reported false news. He says, "Russell darling, the moment that you give me a specific example—an actual example—of an MSNBC correspondent or anchor being on television saying something that they knew was false."

Russell coming with his A-game tries to get his examples out while both continue interrupting each other. He goes on to highlight Joe Rogan and Rachel Maddow's cases.

Speaking on Joe Rogan's false reports, Brand highlights Joe's report on using Ivermectin as "ludicrous" and "outrageous." Stating that Joe Rogan and the network "deliberately referring to this as a horse medicine when they know this an effective medicine."

Then, Brand goes on to mention his second case: Rachel Maddow. He brought up her case, saying in one of her MSNBC shows, she told her audience, "if you take this vaccine, you're not gonna get it" — referring to the Covid-19 vaccines. 

Defending his stance, Heilemann dismisses Russell's examples as simply overblown "talking points" for conservatives.

That didn't stop Russell from making his point known to Heilemann. Shifting his argument a bit, Russell says, "new political systems that genuinely represent ordinary Americans so that we can overcome cultural differences."

Rupert Murdoch, the founder of Fox News, admitted to the claims that some station's top shows run with and "endorse" baseless allegations. In turn, forming the basis for the $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems against the channel.

Although Russell's point on false reporting by MSNBC was made, Heilemann also established that his argument comparing what MSNBC might have done with Fox News' repeated election campaign conspiracies was incomparable. In the end, Russell only partially elaborated why he felt Fox News election conspiracies were comparable to the MSNBC reports he highlighted.