Fox's Co-Hosts Defend Trump For Not Disavowing KKK
Kimberly Guilfoyle: “They're Trying To Make Something Out Of Nothing”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
From the February 29 edition of Fox News' The Five:
ERIC BOLLING (CO-HOST): Today Trump tried to clear up a racially charged controversy involving unsolicited support from former KKK leader David Duke. He disavowed the endorsement, Trump did, on Friday, but faced criticism for not repeating his remark again on a Sunday show yesterday. Here's how he explains why he didn't.
[...]
JESSE WATTERS (CO-HOST): I think the ear piece must have been made in China. It was a lousy ear piece, a bad ear piece. A few things here though. Hillary Clinton actively sought out the endorsement of Democratic KKK Senator Robert Byrd, Donald Trump didn't seek out any endorsement, he disavowed it. That's one. Also, Barack Obama sat in racist Reverend Wright's church pews for 20 years. Never even disavowed it. And then all of a sudden -- Trump, I don't think he sat in David Duke's pews. Third thing: I remember when the New Black Panther Party endorsed Obama in 2008, but I don't remember Meet The Press saying, “do you disavow this?” Whenever it's a whack job racist Republican being endorsed or doing the endorsing the media wants to smear them. They bury it on the left.
BOLLING: Can I throw this in here also, and Dana you weigh in on this, but CNN, they kept going after it, the kept going after it. The guy said “I disavowed it already, can we move on?” Does CNN hold anyone else to that standard?
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE (CO-HOST): You know what? Struggling, struggling. This is CNN, trying to be in the top spot. They're not going to get there, they're trying to make something out of nothing. Trying to tag this along in the news cycle so there's more focus on them. It's very transparent, it's very obvious to me what they're doing. It's not working either.
DANA PERINO (CO-HOST): But one thing I think that with this momentum or the movement comes an awesome responsibility and an opportunity for somebody like Donald Trump. So he disavowed David Duke before. One of the things that helped eradicate, well not eradicate, but to denounce the KKK was ridicule. And that really came from popular culture, and Donald Trump is in a perfect position now if he chose, to further ridicule them and snuff out the hate. And I -- he has an opportunity to do that. He will no doubt be asked this again. Maybe not here, but other places, let's not kid ourselves, in the general election, would this be an issue, that the Democrats are going to push and push on? Yes. It may not be fair to the points you just made. Let's not kid ourselves. That is coming.
Previously:
How Trump Acknowledged David Duke On CNN In 1991: “I Hate Seeing What It Represents”
Pundits Across Political Spectrum Blast Trump For Declining To Disavow Support From KKK
Laura Ingraham Calls Questioning Trump's David Duke Answers “Gotcha Politics”