Fox & Friends host lies that Trump has “never yet once invoked race ... Trump doesn't make it about race”

Pete Hegseth: “The minute you realize they're going to call you a racist no matter what you do, then it's liberating”

From the July 19 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

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PETE HEGSETH (GUEST CO-HOST): In every argument -- and I've been on vacation this past week. But I've been watching this.

STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): Didn't miss anything.

HEGSETH: But every time I turn on the TV or read a newsletter about it, it's that Trump made racist remarks yet, he's never yet once invoked race. He's pointed out if you don't love the values of our country maybe you should consider living somewhere else or going somewhere else. That the chant he distanced himself from, but they make it about race. Trump doesn't make it about race.

AINSLEY EARHARDT (CO-HOST): Well, the rally was more than an hour. An hour and 30 minutes. He had a lot to say. But if you watch a lot of the networks, if you watch the media and listen to the Democrats, they picked out that one phrase --

HEGSETH: That's it.

EARHARDT: -- that the crowd was chanting, criticizing.

...

HEGSETH: The minute you realize they're going to call you a racist no matter what you do, then it's liberating. Call me whatever you want to call me. That's how I think the president feels. I know what I believe in, which is, I love this country, I love the flag, I'm willing to defend it. And they walk back into identity politics. And good for Rubio to say hey, we're not playing that anymore.

Previously:

You don’t get frothing crowds chanting “send her back” without Fox News  

Multiple news outlets parrot Trump’s dishonest disavowal of “send her back” rally chant

Fox host calls “send her back” chants at Trump rally “appropriate”