In what may be one of the year’s most unexpected feuds, journalist Soledad O’Brien is going back and forth with actor and open Donald Trump supporter Isaiah Washington over a Blexit photo.
It all happened Sunday when Washington tweeted his support for the movement led by conservative shill Candace Owens that urges Black Democrats to leave the party in favor of joining the GOP. It is not to be confused with a movement of the same name launched by Me’Lea Connelly in 2016. Connelly’s goal is for Black people to move away from institutions that have disenfranchised them and is not aligned with any one political party.
“G’nite twittersphere…#Blexit #LRA #WalkAway🇺🇸,” read an Oct. 6 tweet from the former “Grey’s Anatomy” star. It accompanied a photo of Washington smiling alongside other conservative and Trump-supporting Black men.
O’Brien noticed the tweet hours later and retweeted it adding, “Lol.”
In response, Washington suggested the two get on the phone and talk about their views so the journalist can “do a little more research on me.”
“I don’t know you personally, but we do Follow each other here on Twitter. Perhaps you should do a little more research on me before you go down this path. Let’s keep it simple. Let’s hop on call before you are forced to block me and this becomes nasty,” he said.
But O’Brien wasn’t on board with that. She wrote, “Or… I can just ignore you. Bless your heart, though. (And don’t threaten people. It’s not becoming.)”
She also tweeted calling him “babe” and said that he should focus on himself.
“What’s not becoming is watching you being paid to act like you’re a credible journalist that gives a crap about ‘real black people,'” Washington replied. “You my dear have been a fraud for year’s. You wanna debate me, I’m happy to do so regarding my current political position. If not, pivot now.
“I see you’re sticking to the negative narrative that I’d be so low as to ‘threaten’ you here on Twitter,” he added. “That’s not gonna work. And I see you wanna engage here. Listen, I’ve had to watch you ‘pretend’ to not only ‘be black’, but watch you be made the ‘designated voice’ for US.”
He also told O’Brien to “keep it professional,” warning her about being in the era of #MeToo.
O’Brien kept quiet from that point on, but Washington revved things up by blasting the reporter in replies to other Twitter users.
“She’s a hypocrite and showing her true lack of color right here on Twitter. My God, look at the year’s of black peoples that held her up on a pedestal. My, my, there is more falling for her to do being worried about what I’m doing at the @WhiteHouse,” he said when someone said they thought she’d vowed to ignore the actor.
And when an O’Brien supporter said Washington was what “Harriet Tubman warned us about,” he replied by remarking about the act Trump signed into law meant to reduce recidivism.
“WTF? I’m doing what Harriet Tubman did and better. Sit down. You sound ignorant. #FirstStepAct”
All the while, other non-conservatives responded to his Brexit tweet, including former “NewsOne Now” anchor Roland Martin, who left several laughing emoji and senior editor of Zora Magazine and Medium Morgan Jenkins.
Washington had some words for all of his detractors saying, “@soledadobrien .@MorganJerkins .@rolandsmartin Instead of supporting me & the historic #FirstStepAct which is the most important bipartisan bill signed into law in 50 year’s, you hacks are being childish like I care about any of you and your #FakeNews tactics. Debate me or 🖕🏾”
