Brian Kilmeade stood on the side of white radicals sabotaging America’s democratic processes and endangering public servants as he defended armed, mask-less protesters violently storming into the Oregon Capitol and painted them as patriots who “want to live the American Dream.”
Oregon Public Broadcasting has a good description of the behavior Kilmeade condoned:
The Oregon State Police declared an unlawful assembly as a growing number of protesters pushed their way through the Capitol doors chanting, “let us in” and “arrest [Governor] Kate Brown.” Police officers donned gas masks as they squared off with protesters, some of whom carried firearms and bear spray, and many of whom were not wearing masks. Among the protesters were members of Patriot Prayer, a far-right group based in Vancouver, Washington, that attracts white supremacists and has engaged in violence.
Oregon State Police reported that officers were sprayed with “some kind of chemical agent” twice while trying to repel people from the building. Officers had arrested three people as of early afternoon, including a 41-year-old man who state police said sprayed bear mace at police.
Those arrests did not dissuade demonstrators, some of whom shattered glass doors into the Capitol while demanding to be let inside. Some members of the crowd harassed or assaulted journalists reporting on the event.
I think we all know how Fox would have covered this event had it been Black Lives Matter protesters storming the Capitol. Media Matters reminds that when some Black Lives Matter and antifa protests turned violent over the summer, Kilmeade compared the demonstrators to Al Qaeda and suggested they should be tortured.
But since they were white conservatives (never mind that some were white supremacists), they got sympathy and understanding. Anchor Trace Gallagher left out the part about the violence, the carrying of arms, the masklessness and the glass-breaking while describing them as protesters “fed up” with a “totalitarian” government and who merely “pushed” their way into the state capitol.
GALLAGHER: Tension in Oregon, as state police declare an unlawful assembly. This after demonstrators pushed their way into the state capitol in Salem, calling on the governor and lawmakers to reopen the economy. Officers deploying blue smoke to try to disperse the crowd.
Joining us now is Brian Kilmeade, co-host of Fox & Friends. Brian, it's always great to see you, thanks for fitting us into your schedule there on radio time. I want to — this is a statement from one of the protestors. He said this to The Daily Beast, quoting here, “These people are unemployed and their lives are being ruined by this situation and most importantly by a government that seems to have taken totalitarian views.” Clearly, this person, a lot of others, are fed up. Are the protests the way to vent your frustration, in your opinion, Brian?
Kilmeade claimed he doesn’t support violence even as he more strongly insinuated it was totally justified:
KILMEADE: I ask you, what else can they do? They had the legislative meeting where they're deciding their future. You show up. I'm not for violence, but I'm for showing up in numbers, especially as legislators can see the faces of those they are shutting down — maybe forever.
You know what's different about these riots in Oregon, as opposed to Seattle riots? They're not against America, they want to work in America. They want to live the American Dream, and I would imagine they were living it until they were stopped by a pandemic from China. But then they doubled and tripled the pain, by terrible leadership by mayors and governors, case in point in Oregon.
You can watch Kilmeade support right-wing radicals below, from the December 22, 2020 America’s Newsroom, via Media Matters.