On MSNBC on Sunday, center-right columnist and Associate Editor of Commentary Noah Rothman was on to discuss Brett Kavanaugh and the potential for new court rulings on Roe v Wade, when he became the topic of the conversation rather than just a participant after MSNBC analyst Zerlina Maxwell accused him of “mansplaining’ abortion.

After a clip of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell referring to the actions of liberals and Democrats during the confirmation process as “energizing” the Republican base, Rothman was prompted to comment on the remarks.

“Frankly what he’s addressing, and the tone and tenor of this panel is indicative of what we’re talking about here. Susan Collins’ speech should be read by everybody carefully. Because her speech was about the judge’s judicial philosophy, which has been lost over the course of the last two weeks,” he said. “And she emphasized the extent to which this guy splits the baby. He doesn’t rule against the ACA. He’s not interested in —”

“He’s on the list because he’s going to overturn Roe,” interrupted Maxwell, suggesting that Kavanaugh was only on the shortlist for the Supreme Court because of abortion.

Rothman continued saying that Kavanaugh is “not interested in overturning Roe.”

“Well state laws will make it overturned,” said Maxwell.

Rothman replied “he has a centrist philosophy and conservatives are very disinterested–”

At that point, host of #WokeAF on SiriusXM Danielle Moodie-Mills interjected somewhat incredulously “Are you kidding? No you heard him, you heard him. He does not have a middle.”

“I am trying to explain to you what the conservative philosophy is–” began Rothman, as Maxwell stopped him.

“Don’t do that. You’re headed right toward mansplaining,” she said. “Don’t say I’m trying to explain something to a woman when it has to do with reproductive health care. Don’t ever do that. That’s not a good idea.”

“The notion we are protesting here is that this is the forerunner of a murderous Nazi regime that was just invoked, and I’m sorry that is an inaccurate and incendiary,” Rotham said.

“That doesn’t mean it’s wrong,” said Elie Mystal of AboveTheLaw.com.

What Rothman is referring to is a comment early in the show that set the tone for the discussion, when Mystal implied that the GOP control of Congress and the appointment of Kavanaugh were evocative of Nazism. “We’re going to see if this reign that they now have control overall three branches of government, we’re going to see if this reign lasts for thirty days or two years or a thousand year Reich, because that is how, that is what these people have set themselves up for” said Mystal as Maxwell nodded in agreement.

It is that comment which Rothman described later in the show, in the above clip, as incendiary, and on which Mystal doubled down. It was only slightly more incendiary than other comments by the panelists throughout the show.

Watch the clip above, courtesy of MSNBC.

[Featured image via screengrab]

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