Last week, while the country was roiled by massive Black Lives Matters protests over police killings and systemic racism, NY’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan went on Fox & Friends to discuss these relevant issues – Nah, just kidding. He used his time to praise Trump for bringing attention to the REAL Civil Rights issue which is – wait for it - school choice!!!!
Cohost Steve Doocy began by warmly welcoming Fox fave Dolan (best buddies with the late Roger Ailes, former head of Fox and an accused sexual harasser).
Dolan gushed that he “always relishes the opportunity to be in with ya.” (We last saw Dolan sucking up to Trump on Fox & Friends in April.)
Cohost Ainsley Earhardt added that “we always love it when you’re on our run-down.”
Doocy then read a quote (“a zip code shouldn’t determine a child’s future”) from Trump’s June 16th Rose Garden address which was supposed to be about police reform; but, instead, veered bizarrely into school choice – an important issue for Trump’s Evangelical and conservative Catholic base. Sweet lil Christian (and likely adulteress) Ainsley Earhardt chimed in that “we are all God’s children.”
Reacting to Trump’s quote Dolan responded, “Halleluia, Deo gracias, thanks be to God.” He said he was thrilled to hear Trump say that and was pleased about “the bipartisanship support for this very noble endeavor towards school choice.” (Fact Check: Democrats are largely opposed to school choice as they feel it takes resources from public school.)
Dolan continued to frame the narrative as one of civil rights when he noted that he was “glad to see people putting this as a civil rights issue” and that it is the “civil right of parents to make a choice to send their tax money there.” He whined about how this civil right “has not been protected because of the very unjust and at times bigoted unwillingness to direct the people’s money to the education of their choice in the education of their child.”
He made the strange claim that both COVID and racial unrest “gives us a great opportunity to help all schools, GOVERNMENT schools [term for public schools used by the right wing] and non-government schools, private schools because that not only is a civil rights issue, it’s the best way to a strong, civil society, quality education for all of our kids.”
Doocy referenced how, during the last two months, people haven’t been able to attend church in person and thus, no collection plate money which is used to pay for schools in poor districts. He added that the president is very concerned about the possibility that these schools could close. He asked Dolan if he has talked to Sen. Chuck Schumer about the possibility of school bankruptcy.
Dolan complained that parents, in this economic climate, can’t afford to send their children to Catholic schools. But, ever the politician, Dolan said that he works closely with Schumer and the president to make sure that Catholic schools receive the requisite funding.
In keeping with the Fox script that mob violence is a bigger threat than systemic racism, cohost Brian Kilmeade lied when he asserted that St. Patrick’s Cathedral was “wrecked.” And “defiled” during the recent New York City protests. (Fact Check: Some graffiti was spray painted on the exterior of the church.) He asked the portly prelate if it’s “hard to keep your temper and not act emotionally when you see looters target a church because of something that happened in a different city.”
Dolan chuckled and said it was “kind of tough to keep my Irish temper in control.” After he stated that the majority of the protests were peaceful, he lamented the “vile” nature of the action as it was directed towards a place of “uplifting sentiment.”
Not a word was mentioned about police brutality and systemic racism.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan is a very big honcho in the Catholic Church; but when it comes to Donald Trump, Dolan is Trump’s worshipful altar boy.
Watch the Trump worship service below, from the Wednesday, June 17, 2020 Fox & Friends.
