In its commitment to diversity (!?), Fox has added to its growing coterie of African-American right wingers, Thaddeus Dionne Alexander whose "viral" video, scolding those who protest Trump, scored bigly in Fox/right wing circles. This morning, Alexander got more free face time on Fox & Friends in order to scold those nasty, America-hating flag burners.
Pete Hegseth, who was recently seen kissing Donald Trump's posterior visiting Trump tower, began the the segment by reminding us of "the Air Force veteran who blasted the rioters crying over the election results." He played a section of Thaddeus Dionne Alexander's video in which he excoriated anti-Trump protesters for being "crybabies." Hegseth reported that Alexander "is back and fired up over the leftists burning the American flag in response to the president-elect saying there should be consequences for those who do it."
Hegseth asked Alexander, who was introduced as "an Air Force veteran," what his message is to protesters. Alexander noted that while, "as an Air Force veteran," he fought for the right to burn the flag, the act is offensive to him. He said that although he is not Muslim, out of respect, he wouldn't burn a Koran. He spoke about how, after 9/11, everybody was united in pride for the USA; but now, that pride is gone.
Alexander segued nicely into what has become a VERY IMPORTANT FOX MEME; i.e. the horror, the horror over flag protests at anti-Trump rallies and the removal of the flag from Massachusetts' liberal Hampshire College - a topic covered by Fox & Friends, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Bill O'Reilly who was proud of his paid stalker, Jesse Watters, for invading the privacy of the president of the college. Donald Trump's infamous tweet, about how those who burn the flag should be prosecuted, occurred shortly after a Fox & Friends "news" report on the Hampshire flag controversy.
Alexander advocated for the removal of government funding for schools that do not fly the American flag, a move that would clearly be illegal. But who cares about the law on Fox & Friends? "You're talking about consequences," Hegseth said. Then he played a portion of Trump advocating for "consequences" for flag burning. Koch-tool Hegseth summed up Trump's "perspective" by saying, "We're all in for America and if you burn that flag, there should be consequences."
Alexander did assert that, Constitutionally, flag burners are protected.
But Hegseth made sure that the Fox viewers got that VERY IMPORTANT FOX MESSAGE: "Just because you have the right doesn't make doing it right." He asked what flag burning reveals about "how we view our own country when the protest is to burn the very thing that men like you and many others have served to defend?"
Predictably, Alexander described the act as "disrespectful" and said that those who burn the flag "don't deserve" any benefits like Social Security or government medical care. He brayed that our enemies don't need to attack us because "we're attacking each other and making all Americans look like idiots."
"Try burning a flag in North Korea," Hegseth said Then he praised Alexander for "speaking truth."
Truth is not a word that should be used on Fox & Friends.
And by the way, I don't recall any outrage when Tea Party protesters flew the American flag upside down. I mean, isn't that a form of disrespect?
Watch it below, from the December 2, 2016 Fox & Friends.
IOKIYAT. The last letter is for Trumplican, my term for the particularly intellectually-challenged and minority subspecies of Republican. I’m still hoping that real Republicans will grow a spine and start pushing back. Although Trump has broken so many precedents and rules, what would be his reaction were the Electoral Collage to opt for Hillary after all? If I’m not mistaken, most of the electors are actually not bound by law (much like there is no legal ban on conflict of interest for a President). I mean, really, Hillary won the popular vote didn’t she? Trump was against the Electoral College system until it gave him the election. Totally opportunistic of him and his, in my view.