Serial Tragedy Politicizer Peter Johnson Jr. Complains White House Is “Politicizing” 9-11

Written by Justin Berrier

Published

Peter Johnson Jr., Fox News legal analyst and frequent Fox & Friends commentator, is well known for his running commentary on the effects of the 9-11 attacks on New York, first responders, and America in general, but the current running through his coverage is almost always to attack Democrats and push whatever right-wing ideology Fox & Friends has chosen to focus on at the time. Johnson's latest tirade came this morning, as he agreed with co-host Steve Doocy that the administration is using 9-11 as “an excuse” for something unspecified because it “lacks the confidence of the American people.” Johnson went on to warn us that “we're about to be brainwashed in the next few days as to what 9-11 means.”

After issuing this warning, Johnson noted the “patriotic, inspired, and inspiring response in America” in the aftermath of 9-11 and then immediately pivoted to attacking the president in a nonsequitor that led him to claim: “The real issue is leadership in the White House, and the malaise and the concern and the anxiety and the dissatisfaction is [about] what's going to happen in the future, and why don't we have a plan to bring this country forward?”

Simply using any excuse to attack President Obama is standard fare for Fox & Friends, but here's what made this Johnson tirade noteworthy: Immediately after using 9-11 to attack the president, he said that “what I don't like is there is always politicization of tragedies.” He then claimed that the Obama administration is “politicizing” 9-11 “boldly.” Watch:

Of course, Johnson himself is no stranger to politicizing tragedy or attempting to elicit an emotional response in order to push a political agenda:

  • On November 6, 2009, Johnson and co-host Brian Kilmeade used the shooting at Fort Hood to ask if it's time for “special debriefings” and “special screenings” of Muslim officers in the military.
  • Following evangelical preacher Franklin Graham's anti-Muslim tirade on Fox & Friends, Johnson used the 9-11 attacks to claim the reaction to Graham's comments were being “overblown.”
  • On August 20, 2010, while standing outside of the proposed location of the Park51 Islamic community center, Johnson pushed the falsehoods that Park51 would open on September 11, 2011, and that Nancy Pelosi “promises investigation of 9-11 families.”
  • Johnson used the 9-11 attacks to claim New York Muslims should “give up their rights” in order to be “good neighbors.”

For Johnson to continue to exploit the tragedy of 9-11 to advance Fox's opposition to President Obama while accusing others of “politicization of tragedies” is Fox & Friends' hypocrisy at its best.