Media

New York Times defends staffer after flag backlash

by Dominick Mastrangelo - 06/09/21 9:16 AM ET

The New York Times is defending a member of its editorial board after comments she made during a discussion about supporters of former President Trump politicizing the American flag sparked backlash from the right.

In a statement, the Times said that Mara Gay’s comments had been “taken out of context” and were discussing the politicization of the flag and not targeting the flag itself.

“New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay’s comments on MSNBC have been irresponsibly taken out of context,” the Times said in a statement tweeted on Tuesday evening. “Her argument was that Trump and many of his supporters have politicized the American flag. The attacks on her today are ill-informed and grounded in bad-faith.”

New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay’s comments on MSNBC have been irresponsibly taken out of context. Her argument was that Trump and many of his supporters have politicized the American flag. The attacks on her today are ill-informed and grounded in bad-faith.

— NYTimes Communications (@NYTimesPR) June 8, 2021

During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Tuesday morning, Gay said she had traveled to Long Island the previous weekend and saw a number of people displaying pro-Trump, anti-President Biden and American flags, a trend she called “disturbing.”

“As long as they see Americanness as the same, as one with whiteness, this is going to continue. We have to figure out how to get every American a place at the table in this democracy. But how to separate Americanness, America, from whiteness,” Gay said. “I was on Long Island this weekend visiting a dear friend, and I was really disturbed. I saw, you know, dozens and dozens of pickup trucks with expletives against Joe Biden, Trump flags, and in some cases, just dozens of American flags, which is also just disturbing.”

Gay added that she thought “the message” those people she saw were trying to send was, “This is my country. This is not your country. I own this.”

“Until we’re ready to have that conversation, this is going to continue,” she said.

Gay’s comments sparked intense backlash on social media, with several conservatives interpreting her remark as an attack on the flag and patriotism.

NYT/MSNBC’s @MaraGay: In Long Island last weekend, I saw “dozens of American flags,” which was “just disturbing” pic.twitter.com/RhGdqqJope

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 8, 2021

A) You can not imagine the anti-Trump signs and flags in Brooklyn 2016-2020. This is not different. B) I don’t understand allowing yourself to be triggered by the flag of your own country. It belongs to you too. Don’t imagine, and then spread, a message that doesn’t exist. https://t.co/YZQ36tuxBE

— Karol Markowicz (@karol) June 8, 2021

You live in America & you’re disturbed by seeing American Flags on trucks in America??? ‍♂️

Oh boy!

Well, you do have the option of leaving America for country’s flag you like genius!https://t.co/dII1wspM6A

— Leonard Roxon (@LeonardRoxon) June 9, 2021

Mara Gay, an analyst on MSNBC and an editorial board member at the New York Times, ranted that people who love America really just love “whiteness.” She’s a clown. https://t.co/1n597ajK51

— OutKick (@Outkick) June 9, 2021

Gay acknowledged the outrage in a tweet soon after her remarks were made.

“I see I’m being trolled with the American flag this morning,” Gay said. “Trolling a Black journalist with the American flag is not the own some people think it is.”

I see I’m being trolled with the American flag this morning. Trolling a Black journalist with the American flag is not the own some people think it is.

— Mara Gay (@MaraGay) June 8, 2021