If Fox host Laura Ingraham has any sense of shame, she’ll be forever humiliated by yesterday’s MeidasTouch video destroying her “amnesia” over Republicans’ violent rhetoric.
Of course, Ingraham has no detectable sense of shame these days. Especially since she was not just denying Republican rhetoric had anything to do with the vicious and obviously politically-motivated attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, but she was using that incident to further demonize Democrats as dangerous enemies.
In case anyone missed that point, a lower-third banner read: “LEFT SEES ATTACK AS OPPORTUNITY TO STIFLE POLITICAL OPPOSITION” and a large graphic on the screen showed the Democratic donkey symbol above the words, “SMEARS FROM THE THOUGHT POLICE.” Above all that was the face of someone with their mouth taped shut.
It was in that context that Ingraham cleverly avoided actually denying Republicans’ violent rhetoric by pretending she was “just asking” a question.
INGRAHAM: Now, which Republican official or candidate has ever condoned or in any way encouraged any type of violent assault. Can you start naming them? I can’t.
Of course, plenty of us can name them, starting with Ingraham's Fox colleague, Tucker Carlson. And maybe she has forgotten, but we haven't, how colleague Sean Hannity actually promoted armed insurrection against the Obama administration.
But MeidasTouch did better than name names. The group put together a video showing names, faces and rhetoric: First up, we saw Ingraham pal Donald Trump saying, at a rally, that he’d like to “punch [a peaceful protester] in the face,” as the crowd roared with approval. That was followed by Trump saying, on Fox & Friends, “Maybe he should have been roughed up.”
Then we saw Ingraham again, saying, “They never name names, because they can’t.” She grinned maliciously.
Well, except for these additional folks:
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, saying, “I want you to watch Nancy Pelosi hand me that gavel. It’ll be hard not to hit her with it but I will bang it down.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene saying, “It is a crime punishable by death, is what treason is. Nancy Pelosi is guilty of treason and we want her out.”
Rep. Paul Gosar, in an anime video, carrying swords, attacking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (PBS reported that the same video showed him attacking President Joe Biden, too)
Rudy Giuliani, saying, “Let’s have trial by combat!”
Donald Trump Jr. seen taking target practice with former Gov. Eric Greitens (forced out of office after sworn accusations of violent, domestic abuse), followed by Trump Jr. saying, “striking fear in the hearts of liberals everywhere, folks.”
Former Rep. Madison Cawthorn, saying, “You can lightly threaten [your Congressional representatives]. ‘I’m coming after you, Madison Cawthorn’s coming after you. Everybody is coming after you.’”
Rep. Lauren Boebert, holstering a pistol as she says, “I don’t think liberals thought this whole mask thing through ‘cause you better believe I’m coming with my Springfield XDS.”
Steve Bannon, saying that Trump’s second term will kick off with the firing of FBI Director Christopher Wray and public health official Dr. Anthony Fauci and “I’d put the heads on pikes. Right? I’d put ‘em at the two corners of the White House – as a warning!”
Roger Stone, saying, “I said, ‘f**k the voting, let’s get right to the violence. That’s what I’m f**king saying.”
Are those enough names to jog your memory, Laura? Because if not, there are more in the MeidasTouch video below. It’s appropriately titled, #ViolentGOP.