Lindsey Graham: People Wouldn’t Watch MSNBC With A Gun To Their Heads (VIDEO)

Lindsey Graham doesn’t think MSNBC could improve its ratings even if viewers were issued a deadly ultimatum.

At least that seems to be what the South Carolina senator was suggesting Thursday during an interview with Newsmax’s Steve Malzberg.

Graham dismissed the idea that a possible merger between Comcast (which owns MSNBC) and Time Warner Cable will limit television platforms for conservatives.

“Here’s my general takeaway about MSNBC,” Graham said. “People are in this business to make money, right, the cable companies. I don’t think you could increase MSNBC’s ratings if you had a gun to people’s heads. I’m not worried about that. “

The New York Times reported this week that MSNBC endured some of its worst ratings in seven years last month. Its flagship sunrise talk show, “Morning Joe,” fell to third place among its cable news competition.

Graham’s response was worthy of the ratings-obsessed Bill O’Reilly, who routinely reminds viewers of his dominance over his MSNBC rivals.

Joining Fox and Graham in their mockery of MSNBC is the long-suffering CNN, which drew a ratings spike with its wall-to-wall (and often ridiculous) coverage of the missing Malaysian Airlines plane.

Scarborough reacted harshly to his ratings fall, lashing out at CNN for “its phony breaking-news headlines and breathless coverage of random ocean debris.”

CNN responded like O’Reilly.

“Joe has clearly become unhinged by his third place ratings,” a spokesperson told TPM in an email.

h/t Mediaite