Eric Holder defends Joy Reid after controversy: She ‘should not be silenced’

Former Attorney General Eric Holder defended MSNBC host Joy Reid on Twitter Saturday after she apologized for posts described as homophobic and transphobic unearthed from an old blog.

In a tweet, the Obama-era attorney general wrote that Reid “should not be silenced” and that her apology was “appropriate” and “heartfelt.”

“Joy Ann Reid apology. Appropriate. Heartfelt. This unique and compelling voice for tolerance and equality should not be silenced. We learn – and change – from our mistakes. She has,” Holder tweeted.

Joy Ann Reid apology. Appropriate. Heartfelt. This unique and compelling voice for tolerance and equality should not be silenced. We learn – and change – from our mistakes. She has.

— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) April 28, 2018

{mosads}Reid’s apology Saturday morning came after her suspension from The Daily Beast as a contributor, and unverified claims from Reid that her blog had been hacked.

In her apology, Reid stated that while she still does not believe she wrote the posts in question, she is “truly sorry” for being “dumb or cruel or hurtful” in the past.

“Here’s what I know: I genuinely do not believe I wrote those hateful things,” she said on her MSNBC show “AM Joy.”

“But I can definitely understand based on things I have tweeted and have written in the past why some people don’t believe me,” she added.

Some journalists have criticized Reid over her handling of the situation, including Capital & Main reporter David Sirota, who tweeted that the incident “fuels overall distrust of media, which makes it harder for honest workaday journalists to be viewed as credible.”

Other reporters, including CNN’s Brian Stelter, retweeted Sirota’s message.

Reid also apologized to conservative commentator Ann Coulter, whom Reid referred to as “that Coulter dude” in tweets from 2010 and 2011 that many are now calling transphobic.

“I want to apologize to the trans community and to Ann. Those tweets were wrong and horrible,” she told viewers.

“I’m heartbroken that I didn’t do better back then,” Reid said. “The reality is I have to own the things I’ve written and tweeted and said.”