ANGELA RYE: I just want to go back for a second, Poppy, because I think Trump acknowledging a mistake but still not apologizing is pretty significant. Why? Because we continue to pretend, right, that Republicans have been the party of women empowerment or in some way have embraced women. And I think, again, when we go back to this GOP autopsy report which came out after Mitt Romney got really beaten very badly in 2012, we continue to ignore that networks allowed Republican pundits and hosts to bash the first family, to bash the first daughters, to bash Michelle Obama, and now we're surprised that Donald Trump has in some way done this and he's on an island unto himself. He's not.
POPPY HARLOW (HOST): Are you blaming the media? [CROSSTALK]
RYE: No, I'm not blaming the media. I am saying that there are folks who have media platforms who were encouraged to do this kind of thing from Rush Limbaugh to other hosts including Glenn Beck, who were bashing the first family on their looks, on their appearance, on their weight. And I'm saying it's not new and we shouldn't be surprised that Donald Trump followed suit and did the same thing. He's done the same thing, and he's not anti-establishment in that way. Republicans were doing that as well.
HARLOW: Buck, I just want your response to that, as a Ted Cruz supporter, what would John Kasich say to that?
BUCK SEXTON: I would like to hear one example actually of what she's talking about. I think actually most of them -- [CROSSTALK]
HARLOW: Angela, do you want to give an example?
RYE: Happy to do it.
SEXTON: There was a very clear directorate, I think, from most of the media not to attack the first lady or the first family, certainly in the early days of the Obama administration. I follow these things pretty closely. I'm not aware of anybody who has a prominent platform attacking the looks of President Obama's family in any way.
RYE: I'm happy to share it.
SEXTON: So, I can't respond to it because I can't actually think of one time it's ever happened.
RYE: As soon as this segment is over I will tweet it to so you see the link. It's actually from Media Matters. Everyone from Rush Limbaugh talking about Michelle Obama's butt versus Barack Obama's butt, talking about how much she weighs. Another -- I don't know who this guy was -- but another host saying she looks like merman. So these aren't just random things that I'm pulling out of the -- I'm talking about hosts that folks are relying on in the Republican Party to give them guidance and leadership. So I'm happy to share the link with you after this.
