Fox's Hasselbeck Falsely Accuses Politicians Of Telling People To “Stop Praying”

Elisabeth Hasselbeck: “If You Want To Line Up With Terrorists And Try To Take God Away, You're Not On The Right Side”

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

Fox & Friends co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck mischaracterized tweets that took on the issue of thoughts and prayers following the fatal December 2 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California. Reading tweets from Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and ThinkProgress editor Zack Ford, Hasselbeck criticized those who “want to line up with terrorists and try to take God away,” and accused politicians of telling people to “stop praying.” Contrary to Hasselbeck's claim, politicians' tweets have not told people to stop praying, but instead were a call to enact policy changes regarding access to guns in addition to thoughts and prayers. From the December 3 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

STEVE DOOCY: On the cover of the Daily News they have politicized this already. 'Hey, Republicans,' they're saying, “God isn't fixing this. As the latest batch of innocent Americans are left dying in pools of blood, cowards,” who they picture right here, Rand Paul, Paul Ryan, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, oh, all Republicans, “cowards who could truly end gun scourge continue to hide behind meaningless platitudes.”

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: You know, I was so disturbed by that cover. When you see tweets like Chris Murphy out of Connecticut saying “your 'thoughts' should be about steps to take to stop to take this carnage. Your prayers should be for forgiveness if you do nothing again.” And then a tweet from the editor of ThinkProgress, Zack Ford, saying, “Try this: Stop thinking. Stop praying. Look up Einstein's definition of insanity. Stop (sic) acting on gun violence prevention measures.”

DOOCY: Now listen to this. Here's a father who was getting a text from his daughter.

HASSELBECK: Yeah.

[BEGIN VIDEO]

MAN: “Shooting at my work, people shot. In the office waiting for cops. Pray for us.”

[END VIDEO]

HASSELBECK: He said his daughter in there, was saying, texting him at the time, “pray for us.” I say this, if you want to line up with terrorists and try to take God away, you're not on the right side. That's all I'd have to say to those politicians who want to tell you to stop praying. Just don't.