On the August 10 broadcast of his Fox News Radio show, John Gibson and the program's executive producer, known on air as “Angry Rich,” mocked Comedy Central host Jon Stewart for emotional remarks he made shortly after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. While airing a clip of Stewart's remarks from the September 20, 2001, edition of The Daily Show, Gibson mimicked Stewart and sarcastically interjected, “Oh, God, Jon. Just tell me it's not true,” and, “Oh! That's great. I'm -- God, I'm touched.” Before playing the clip, Angry Rich asked, “Do you remember what the media was like shortly after 9-11?” Gibson answered, “Oh, Jon Stewart sobbing.” After the clip concluded, Angry Rich called Stewart a “phony.”
Gibson mocked Stewart during a discussion of Philadelphia Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky's August 9 column, headlined “To save America, we need another 9/11.” He aired the clip immediately following a caller's comment that “the last time I ever remember in my entire life this entire country actually stood up and held hands and everybody cared about each other” was after 9-11.
GIBSON: [Caller] in Madison, Wisconsin.
CALLER: Hi, John.
GIBSON: Are you angry at this columnist for saying -- well, let me quote him correctly -- “that another 9-11 would help America?”
CALLER: You know, John, I have -- I love your show. First, I want to say you're one of my great idols. I listen to you everyday.
GIBSON: You do?
CALLER: Yes. I absolutely love your show. John, I -- you know, I've said this for so long right now because I'm so frustrated with these -- with everybody, just -- all everybody cares about in this country is their own personal interests, and that's all they really want the government to go for. And everybody is -- they want the money and the time and energy spent on their own personal interests, and everybody's always thinking about me, me, me, me, me.
And the last time I ever remember in my entire life this entire country actually stood up and held hands and everybody cared about each other and said, “You know what? Forget my interests. I don't care what, you know, I have to do to help myself now. Go, government, and take care of this country as a whole,” was September 12. You know, September 11. And ever since then, we've gotten so far away and after that, and we've forgotten that feeling of that day after. And it has -- you know, it's dwindled away from everybody, and we have gotten to the point we're back into only caring about putting that money and effort into what is going to help me personally and what's going to, you know --
GIBSON: [Caller], you live in Madison, Wisconsin?
CALLER: One of the most liberal towns in this country.
GIBSON: How -- I mean, do you, like, hide under a rock --
CALLER: My God.
GIBSON: -- and make sure your neighbors don't hear you speak?
CALLER: And trust me, honest to God, I'm in the closet right now.
ANGRY RICH: They throw bongs at him.
GIBSON: I bet they do. [Caller], thanks.
CALLER: I mean I'm --
GIBSON: Appreciate it. God, we found the one guy in Madison who's sensible.
ANGRY RICH: Do you remember what the media was like shortly after 9-11?
GIBSON: Oh, Jon Stewart sobbing.
STEWART: The view from my apartment --
GIBSON: Sobbing.
STEWART: -- was the World Trade Center.
GIBSON: Oh, God, Jon. Just tell me it's not true.
STEWART: And now it's gone.
GIBSON: It's gone.
STEWART: And they attacked it.
GIBSON: They attacked it.
STEWART: This symbol --
GIBSON: This symbol.
STEWART: -- of American ingenuity --
GIBSON: American ingenuity.
STEWART: -- and strength --
GIBSON: And strength.
STEWART: -- and --
GIBSON: Determination.
STEWART: -- and labor and imagination and commerce, and it is gone.
GIBSON: Gone.
STEWART: But you know what the view is now?
ANGRY RICH: What is it, Jon?
GIBSON: What is it, Jon?
STEWART: The Statue of Liberty.
GIBSON: Oh! That's great. I'm -- God, I'm touched.
STEWART: The view from the south of Manhattan is now the Statue of Liberty.
GIBSON: I'm touched.
ANGRY RICH: Let me bash Bush for the next six years.
STEWART: You can't beat that.
GIBSON: You can't beat that. Well --
ANGRY RICH: Phony.
GIBSON: Actually, you could. If you wait a little while, you'll say, just as Steve Martin used to say, “Should I fight the terrorists? Should I listen to their phone calls? Should I follow them everywhere on the planet to keep America safe? Nah, let's kick the hell out of Bush.”
Do we need another 9-11? Triple eight, seven, eight, eight, nine, nine, one, zero. Any of you -- anybody who would say we do need a 9-11, remember, there are bloggers on the left and bloggers on the right who would like to string you up.
Nicholas J. Natalicchio is an intern at Media Matters for America.
