MSNBC guest: 'This is the first time we have Ivanka...in the crosshairs'

A guest on MSNBC's "AM Joy" — discussing reports that President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump allegedly overbilled the inaugural committee — declared that "this is the first time we have Ivanka ... in the crosshairs."

Above the Law's Elie Mystal added excitedly to host Joy Reid on Saturday that an effective way to "get to" Trump "is if you go after his kids ... and this could be the way to do it."

Here's a longer version of Mystal's nearly breathless observation:

"Do you remember in 'The Firm' how Tom Cruise brings down the entire mob on overbilling? In these reports, what we have is Ivanka Trump, as part of the Trump organization, overbilling the inaugural committee. That could be it right there. ... we've talked a lot about Don Jr., whether or not he was at the Trump Tower meeting; we talked a lot about Eric because he seems to be Fredo. This is the first time that wehave Ivanka — which is, like. the only kid he likes ... in the crosshairs. She apparently, according to these reports, was involved with overcharging the inaugural committee, and somebody had to tell her: 'This is gonna look bad when we get audited.' For a long time I thought that the only way we're really gonna get to Trump is if you go after his kids. If you put the kids in legal peril, that's the only thing that's gonna shock him out of his lying, deceitful cocoon. And this could be the way to do it."

Reid noted "there is this finding ... that you can't indict a sitting president. But it doesn't say anything about a sitting president's daughter."

Here's the clip:

This writer's perspective

Conspicuous by its absence is widespread outrage in the media over Mystal's use of the word "crosshairs."

After all, another MSNBC icon — Chris Matthews — crowed about the word way back in 2011 after a nutcase shot then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), seriously wounding her. You see, a year before former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's political action committee created a map of electoral districts with crosshairs over each, one of which was Giffords' — and Matthews didn't like that a whole lot.

He said Palin is "one American political figure in this country ... who has made 'crosshairs' her political signature" and that "however we may disagree in this country, people shouldn't be talking about guns – reloading them or targeting them – as a way to solve political arguments."

And yet the same network hosts a show with a guest who uses the word "crosshairs" in reference to Ivanka Trump?

Matthews also noted Giffords' warning about the map before she was shot. The former congresswoman told MSNBC that "we're on Sarah Palin's targeted list. But the thing is, the way she has it depicted it has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. And when people do that, they've got to realize there are consequences to that action."

The Washington Post said no connection was established between the map and the Giffords shooting — but as late as 2017 reported "how pervasive this debunked talking point still is on the political left, and we wanted to set the record straight."

Bottom line: When conservatives use "crosshairs," that's dangerous. But when the left uses "crosshairs"? No harm, no foul.

(H/T: NewsBusters)