Saturday’s version of MS NOW’s The Weekend: Primetime turned its “No Kings” protest protection right into a cringe reel.
It started with a story setup that instantly collapsed. Ayman Mohyeldin teed up his co-host Antonia Hylton to explain Trump voters who had supposedly turned towards him and joined the protests. Drawback: Hylton hadn’t truly discovered any.
ANTONIA HYLTON: “Right now, I didn’t particularly speak to anybody within the crowd who had voted for Trump up to now…”
A lot for that narrative.
However the actual spectacle got here reside from Los Angeles, the place correspondent Jacob Soboroff’s man-on-the-street routine shortly went off the rails. It was “unbelievable,” it could be “historic.” Let’s guess few folks keep in mind the final certainly one of these, regardless of all of the elitist media boosterism.
Soboroff started by actually grabbing a girl by the arm and pulling her into the digital camera body—solely to be taught she was a federal worker who didn’t need to be recognized.
SOBOROFF: Come right here. Come right here. Come on! Come right here! Come right here! . . . What’s your title?
PROTESTER: I work for the federal authorities.
SOBOROFF: Oh… effectively… stand this fashion… Sorry to tug you in there like that.
Sure—he truly needed to apologize for bodily dragging a protester into the shot.
Moments later, Soboroff tried stopping one other passerby:
SOBOROFF: Is that this your first protest?
MAN: I’m not making an attempt to.
SOBOROFF: He doesn’t need to… [nervous laugh]
One other swing and a miss.
Soboroff additionally had the odd behavior of introducing himself to protesters, as if networking at a cocktail occasion slightly than masking a reside protest.
SOBOROFF: What’s your title?
PROTESTER: Farah Abdullahi.
SOBOROFF: It’s very nice to fulfill you. I’m Jacob.
The response: seen confusion. However Soboroff bumped into an expert: LinkedIn matches Abdullahi as a Lead Organizer for Service Staff Worldwide Union, Native 2015.
And simply in case viewers hadn’t observed the overexposure, Soboroff himself did—apologizing to the hosts for monopolizing airtime:
“I do know you have got a present to do…”
No kidding.
Between the nonexistent ex-Trump voters, the arm-grabbing, the on-air apologies, and the awkward meet-and-greets, MS NOW’s massive “nationwide protest” showcase landed much less like a historic second—and extra like a chaotic, self-parodying mess.
Here is the transcript.
MS NOW
The Weekend: Primetime
3/28/26
6:08 pm EDTAYMAN MOHYELDIN: I wished to get your ideas on the variety of the gang, politically talking. You realize, we talked about that there are protests happening in 3,000 completely different areas or cities throughout this nation.
However we have additionally been talking to lots of people who at one level supported Trump and now really feel considerably betrayed by him, whether or not it is in regards to the Iran conflict or farmers and people who find themselves being damage by the tariff insurance policies that he is enacted.
I am questioning for those who got here throughout individuals who might have voted for Trump, supported Trump, however felt the have to be out right here now as a result of they didn’t anticipate his overreach in any of those areas or among the dangerous insurance policies that he is enacted.
ANTONIA HYLTON: Right now, I did not particularly speak to anybody within the crowd who had voted for Trump up to now. However on the final one again in October, I did have these conversations.
. . .
JACOB SOBOROFF: An unbelievable day the place we’re ready to see if the numbers might be as historic as they’ve been time after time right here.
And I proceed simply to fulfill the fellows.
Come over right here. I used to be simply, come right here. Come right here. Come right here. Come on! Come right here! Come right here! I simply need to see you from behind the digital camera [pulls her by the arm into the shot.] What’s your title? Come over right here. Keep proper subsequent to me.
PROTESTER: I work for the federal authorities.
SOBOROFF: Oh, effectively, then stand this fashion or no matter. She gave up the data. You’re unbelievable. It is unbelievable to be out right here with you. Thanks a lot for speaking to me.
Good to fulfill you. Sorry to tug you in there like that.
PROTESTER II: We have now three branches of presidency equal in energy to test one another, and there is none of that proper now, and that is so disgusting.
SOBOROFF: I hear that time and again. It looks like authoritarianism. It looks like There aren’t any checks and balances on this nation. What’s your title? Eve? Very nice to fulfill you. I am Jacob. Have an excellent time. Be protected out right here immediately.
. . .
All proper. Thanks. Let’s preserve going just a bit bit as a result of I do know, guys, you have bought a present to do. But it surely’s too vital to not hear from folks out on the streets.
[Stops man walking through crowd] Is that this your first protest?
MAN: I am not making an attempt to.
SOBOROFF: He would not need to [nervous laughter.]
. . .
[To protester sitting on the ground] Are you taking somewhat breather on the ground?
PROTESTER III: Somewhat bit. Only for a second.
SOBOROFF: It is sizzling on the market. What’s your title?
PROTESTER III: Farah Abdullahi.
SOBOROFF: It is very nice to fulfill you. I am Jacob. Thanks a lot. [Protester seems befuddled by Soboroff’s gesture.]
