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 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.
Buchanan has been off the air since he began a book tour in October. A liberal group seeking his permanent ouster, Color of Change, announced Jan. 10 that Griffin confirmed to the group this week that Buchanan has been suspended indefinitely, DailyCaller.com reported.
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.
The Anti-Defamation League sent Griffin a letter urging MSNBC to drop Buchanan. “Buchanan repeatedly demonizes Jews and minorities, and openly affiliates with white supremacists,” the ADL says in its pamphlet “Patrick Buchanan: Unrepentant Bigot.” “Among his frequent claims is that the sovereignty of the U.S. is being undermined by Israeli control and Mexican incursion, a belief which he disseminates on television and in his prolific writings.” — jta