In order to make a comeback, you have to go away. And a few folks on Twitter feel MSNBC anchor Brian Williams perhaps hasn't been away long enough.
Williams, again, found himself in the news rather than reporting it on Thursday night into Friday morning after he praised United States missiles that struck a Syrian airfield on Thursday, following a chemical weapons attack perpetrated by the Syrian government.
"We see these beautiful pictures at night from the decks of these two U.S. Navy vessels in the eastern Mediterranean," Williams said on air as footage of Tomahawk missiles played. He then quoted the song "First We Take Manhattan," by Leonard Cohen, a song about extremism. "I am tempted to quote the great Leonard Cohen: 'I'm guided by the beauty of our weapons.'"
For many, the moment was eye-poppingly surreal.
Oh did Brian Williams drape himself in the glories of war as he saw it again
— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) April 7, 2017
Brian Williams misinterpreting a Leonard Cohen lyric in an attempt to glorify war is hysterical in that I both laughed and lost my mind.
— Brand Manager (@MadeOfSpiders) April 7, 2017
Brian Williams describing the missile video as beautiful pictures and quoting leonard cohen...truly bizarre
— Eric Weinberger (@ericweinberger) April 7, 2017
brian williams still has a job?
— ???✈️? (@sarahjeong) April 7, 2017
Brian Williams calls DOD video of missile strikes "beautiful", unironically quotes Leonard Cohen, "Im guided by the beauty of our weapons"
— Adam H. Johnson (@adamjohnsonNYC) April 7, 2017
*Brian Williams is Analyzing the Great Famine* I'm tempted to quote the great Leonard Cohen, "guys like me are mad for turtle meat"
— slackbot (@pareene) April 7, 2017
BRIAN WILLIAMS: I need a war
TRUMP: Here's an airstrike
WILLIAMS: Mm those missiles on the ship look beautiful... I was just there— ishmael n. daro ? (@iD4RO) April 7, 2017
If Brian Williams thinks missiles are beautiful, just wait until he sees a giant, blooming mushroom cloud.
— Warren Holstein (@WarrenHolstein) April 7, 2017
Williams was removed from his job as NBC's primetime anchor in 2015 after a series of falsities were revealed in his reporting. He spent several months off-air before making his way back to the anchor chair with a show on MSNBC.