The Today Show‘s Tamron Hall is a seasoned professional in the media world. She is well-respected and does not shy away from confrontation when necessary. In a recent interview during the Republican National Convention (RNC), Scott Baio learned that the hard way. He thought he could make sexist remarks about Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama without recourse. Tamron Hall set him very straight.

During Baio’s speech at the RNC, he mentioned wanting to “make America great again.” This was the comment that led Hall to question what exactly Baio meant.

After discussing a sexist tweet about Hillary Clinton, many people were upset with Baio’s actions. The Charles in Charge actor has been clear about his religious beliefs and his opposition to Hillary Clinton. In response to the tweet, Hall asked “Did you think about that in church when you tweeted it out?” Taking no blame for the obvious sexism of the tweet, Baio replied, “I offered it without commentary. That was just put up. I just put it up there.”

Hall responded, “Yeah, but you knew what it meant when you tweeted it out. You’re writing your speech in church, you talk about religion coming back to this country and us having a moral barometer. Where was your moral compass when you put up a photo of a woman that you disagree with politically?”

Then, Hall referred to Baio’s 2010 tweets about Michelle Obama showing her making a face and looking angry. The tweet caption said, “Wow, [Barack] wakes up to this every morning.” Hall pushed him on this tweet. Of course, Baio said it was a joke. “That tweet was a joke,” he said. “Tamron, I’m a guy from Brooklyn. I have a certain sense of humor. I sit with my buddies and we smoke cigars. And we joke —”

The two went back and forth about why the tweets were so problematic. Then, Baio tried to manipulate Hall’s words. To which she answered, “I do this for a living. You can’t chop my words up.”

It’s a good think that a few women of color in the news media still have the platforms to engage in these types of debates. Hopefully, people like Baio will learn that they can’t come for women unless we send for them.

Photo: YouTube Screenshot

Author

  • Jenn M. Jackson was born and raised in East Oakland, California, a fact which motivates her writing and academic ambitions. She is a scholar, educator, and writer whose writing addresses Black Politics and civil and public life for young Black people with a focus on policing and surveillance. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Water Cooler Convos, a culture platform for Black millennials. Her writing has been featured in Washington Post, BITCH Magazine, Marie Claire, EBONY, The Root, Daily Dot, The Independent, and many others. Jackson is a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago studying American Politics with a focus on political participation and engagement, public opinion and social movements. For more about her, tweet her at @JennMJack or visit her website at jennmjackson.com.