This one segment shows how differently Fox treats Christians and Muslims when it comes to terrorism

Fox hosts attack media for calling on Christian leaders to condemn violence in Charlottesville, but Fox routinely demands that all Muslims apologize for terrorism committed by Muslim extremists

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

In a notably hypocritical segment on Fox & Friends, the hosts and their guest, David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network, attacked media outlets that called on Christian leaders to denounce white supremacy and the recent violence in Charlottesville, VA. Fox & Friends highlighted articles that noted that many white evangelical leaders have been silent since white supremacists in Charlottesville attacked counter-protesters on August 12 and that historically many Christians and Christian organizations have enabled systemic racism, from slavery to Jim Crow and into the current era. Co-host Pete Hegseth asked why the articles were “trying to make that link” and “rush[ing] to say” that “pastors or churches … are to blame.” Fellow co-host Abby Huntsman said that “people are pointing fingers” and “you have some journalists that are blaming white Christians.” And Brody claimed that “the fix is in, if you will, against evangelical Christians, white evangelical Christians in this country.”

For years, Fox personalities have demanded that Muslims denounce, apologize, and atone for terrorism committed by ISIS and other Muslim extremist groups, even though Muslim groups have often been quick to criticize and denounce these acts of terror. From the August 15 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

ABBY HUNTSMAN (CO-HOST): Well, David, after the horrific events on Saturday in Charlottesville, as it always happens, people are pointing fingers, wanting to blame certain groups of people for what happened. And now you have some journalists that are blaming white Christians for these violent attacks. This is a headline from The Daily Beast It says, “Time for all Christians to denounce white supremacy.” The Washington Post says this: ”After Charlottesville, will white pastors finally take racism seriously?" And, finally, The Atlantic, “How will the church reckon with Charlottesville?” What's going on here?

DAVID BRODY: Well, look, a couple things. First of all, most evangelical leaders, if not all of them -- I say all of them, obviously, in air quotes -- but most all denounced it, first of all. And true biblical Christianity has nothing to do with white supremacy. It's a lazy narrative by the mainstream media. No doubt about it. Remember, even in the Bible, even Matthew, Jesus talked about how people -- he won't even know people that call themselves Christians. In other words, people that are claiming to be Christians doesn't mean that you are a Christian, and that's very important. These white supremacists like to claim Christianity. Well they can be shown the door. They have nothing to do with true biblical Christianity.

PETE HEGSETH (CO-HOST): Well why are they trying to make that link then? Why rush to say, "Well, it's the pastors or churches that are to blame for this or should be apologizing for it?”

BRODY: Well, look, I think the fix is in, if you will, against evangelical Christians, white evangelical Christians in this country. And here's what I mean by that. If you are a white evangelical Christian who voted for Donald Trump and who may have some problems with affirmative action policies in this country and want to crack down on illegal immigration, what, all of a sudden you're part of this grand narrative that you're either racist or a bigot? I mean, give me a break. The whole thing is preposterous, and it's time that the church and evangelical leaders really speak out more forcefully about this.

HUNTSMAN: Yeah. You've got to be so careful in lumping groups of people together.