Although Fox News claimed to “strongly condemn” Jeanine Pirro’s bigoted smear of Rep. Ilhan Omar, based on her religion, Fox News has launched a new round of bigoted smears, eerily similar to the old one, and there’s no way to view this as anything but a deliberate campaign. Shades of Dr. George Tiller.
This week, Fox News took a selectively edited clip of Omar talking about prejudice against Muslims and deliberately misrepresented it to suggest that she was shrugging off 9/11 as a little “something.” No legitimate news outlet could miss that her obvious meaning was not a trivialization of 9/11; she was saying that all Muslims have paid the price for the acts of a few. The full clip makes her intent even clearer.
Fox not only ignored the truth, the network used the deception to fan flames of anti-Muslim bigotry against Omar. Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade “just asked” – while looking at some written notes – “You have to wonder if she's an American first.”
That just happens to be the same message from Pirro on March 9, merely without Pirro’s explicit reference to Omar’s religion:
PIRRO: Think about it. Omar wears a hijab, which according to the Quran 33:59, tells women to cover so they won't get molested. Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to sharia law which in itself is antithetical to the United States Constitution?
After an outcry against Pirro, Fox issued a statement claiming to “strongly condemn” her remarks - one day after the fact. However, Fox has not explained how Pirro’s pre-scripted commentary made it on the air in the first place. Some senior-level producer must have approved it. Furthermore, although Pirro and her show were absent for two weeks as the result of a reported suspension, Fox refused to provide an official explanation for the absence.
When she returned, Pirro offered no apology for her remarks. Instead, she all but doubled down: “I want to thank each of you for watching me tonight. I love my loyal Fox News Channel viewers and I appreciate all of you for joining me. I’m Jeanine Pirro, advocating for truth, justice and the American way.”
Meanwhile, a man was recently arrested for threatening to kill Omar. His threat described her as a Muslim terrorist.
So it’s hard to believe Kilmeade just mouthed off sentiments so similar to Pirro’s without knowing he had the approval, if not the direction, of Fox higher ups. Especially since, as I said above, he was looking at his written notes.
Even worse, other Fox shows echoed the same dishonest smear. That night, Lou Dobbs “asked” guest Tammy Bruce, “She sounds like she hates America, Tammy. She sounds like she hates Jews; she hates Israelis. What is it she doesn't hate?”
Predictably, Tucker Carlson piled on: “She doesn’t [like this country]. Clearly, she despises Americans,” he said. This, from the guy who can’t go an hour on TV without hating on his fellow citizens.
In solidarity, Fox’s sister company turned up the flames a notch:
This is a smear campaign. @nypost cover, below. For context, click this WP link. It shows Omar used the word "some" to distinguish terrorists from "all" Muslims.
— Will Saletan (@saletan) April 11, 2019
For this, self-styled opponents of prejudice have chosen to attack and misrepresent her. https://t.co/MBPt8HMmK0 pic.twitter.com/p8S06Nq4EY
We’ve already seen the horrifying potential Fox News scapegoating had on Dr. George Tiller. We can’t be silent now.
Furthermore, just as the attacks on Tiller were part of a larger war on a woman’s right to choose, this attack on Omar is part of a war on all of us not marching in lockstep with Dear Leader and his acolytes. I hope to explain this further in a latest post. But, meanwhile, do check out Karoli’s post on that larger threat at Crooks and Liars. I’m even quoted in it!
Watch Kilmeade look at his notes while he goes after Omar, below, from the April 10, 2019 Fox & Friends, via Media Matters.
(Pirro image via screen grab)