Brian Williams, the former NBC News anchor suspended for making up stories involving himself, might have been hoping to avoid the limelight on the day Pope Francis arrived in the United States.
Williams will start his stint as an MSNBC breaking news anchor at noon Pacific time Tuesday — to cover the papal visit. And social media are conflating the events.
If Williams, who is Roman Catholic, doesn’t get a chance to confess to the pope, he can observe the Jewish Day of Atonement — Yom Kippur — starting a sundown.
Brian Williams returns at the start of the Atonement Day. Isn’t it ironic donchayathink?!
— Boston Radio Watch® (@bostonradio) September 22, 2015
CNN’s Brian Stelter, meanwhile, wondered how Williams will cover Donald Trump — given a series of critical exchanges between them since 2012.
Brian Williams is expected to return to the air today as a breaking news anchor at MSNBC http://t.co/5nH53teCFu pic.twitter.com/oRk2ueQPiK
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 22, 2015
Brian Williams says he will cover the Pope, but is insisting that things were much better when he was pope. #MSNBC
— Christine Lambe (@txblondegrad) September 22, 2015
Have faith: Brian Williams will be forgiven for his sins, opines @awallenstein http://t.co/Lmk4E6MFsO
— Variety (@Variety) September 22, 2015
Brian Williams returns to MSNBC today as network makes a new play for Fox News viewers, this time targeting those who don’t care about facts
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) September 22, 2015
Are you ready to forgive Brian Williams? http://t.co/2ETVzlrcPU pic.twitter.com/IDuHwbNCoJ
— Variety (@Variety) September 22, 2015