On Tuesday, the Fox News Channel’s “Kelly File” host Megyn Kelly criticized the “double standard” between the treatment of the Black Lives Matter movement and the Tea Party, stating with the Black Lives Matter movement, “suddenly the actions of a few do not apply to the many” like they did with the Tea Party.
Kelly began by playing footage of a New Black Panther group chanting “Oink oink, bang bang” in front of a jail in Texas, which she said was “Just one of the angry and incendiary chants we have seen against police in recent months. … But so far, haven’t heard much from Washington. however, take a walk back with me to 2011, when a shooting in Tucson led to an angry chorus complaining about what they said was angry Tea Party rhetoric.”
Kelly then played clips of House Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Rev. Al Sharpton denouncing heated political rhetoric after the Tuscon shooting.
Kelly then stated, “I went out to see, Katie, whether Debbie Wasserman Schultz was out denouncing the rhetoric that we are now hearing, you know, the lack of civility, that she was complaining about, with the Black Lives Matter movement, and this is what I found her saying about that movement.” Kelly then played a clip of Wasserman Schultz on August 22nd saying, “I’m proud of the young people who have been pushing that Black Lives Matter movement. We brought the Confederate Flag down. We’ve made sure that symbols of hate, symbols of hate are unacceptable in America.”
Guest Fox News Contributor and Townhall.com Editor Katie Pavlich stated, “if Debbie Wasserman Schultz were concerned about symbols of hate, she would be denoting the Black Lives Matter movement.”
Kelly added that the DNC is “trying to tie themselves to the movement, the same movement that’s chanting ‘Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon.’ And these same people [were] denouncing, not long ago the lack of civility in America, meanwhile you’ve got people connected with this movie — with this movement, putting up the sign of a roasted pig and Officer Darren Wilson’s name on it.”
Fox News Contributor and talk radio host Richard Fowler countered, “I don’t think we’re watching the same Black Lives Matter movement. I think if you talk to any of organizers on the ground, both in Ferguson, in Baltimore, and New York, they will tell you they’re a nonviolent movement. That all they want to do is end the disparities –” Kelly cut in to ask why “nonviolent” protesters were chanting “Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon.” Fowler responded that this was “one small incident” of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Kelly then cut in to ask why “so many on the left” were “so quick to tie a comments made by alleged Tea Party members to the entire Tea Party? How about that Richard?” After a period of crosstalk, Kelly asked again, “the people on the left we just showed, were very quick to blame violence that happened in the country on what they alleged were a couple of Tea Party comments that they found to be racist or incendiary. Why are they not as outraged now, when as you point out, okay, maybe it was just Minnesota, maybe it was just those New Black Panther — maybe it’s just that one roasted pig. But suddenly the actions of a few do not apply to the many. Why the double standard?”
Fowler stated, “Well, first, the shooting death that you were talking about in the video clip, there’s actually evidence that indicates that this person was — who had — he had Tea Party sentiments, he agreed with the Tea Party. In this case in Houston — or in Texas, rather, there is no evidence, right? There’s been no investigation, and from somebody, Megyn, who’s a lawyer, you would say, ‘Let’s see the facts first.'” Kelly interjected that she did exactly that on the show the previous night.
Fowler continued, “the Black Lives Matter movement, for the past year, has petitioned and fought to make sure that black lives indeed do matter, and they’re not gunned down by police officers, or choked to death in New York City like Eric Garner was.”
Pavlich concluded by stating, “I just want to make it clear and obvious that Richard Fowler refuses to condemn Black Lives Matter protesters who want police –” Fowler then cut in, after a period of crosstalk, Pavlich continued, “you refuse to condemn Back Lives [Matter] protesters who officers to be executed in their police vehicles. That is what you are promoting tonight.”
(h/t Mediaite)
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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