Trump stance on Muslims, Fox host in spotlight after mosque shootings

[webfact]

Trump stance on Muslims, Fox host in spotlight after mosque shootings

By Doina Chiacu and Sarah N. Lynch

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a briefing on "drug trafficking on the southern border" in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 13, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Sunday championed a Fox News personality who made anti-Muslim remarks as his White House rejected any attempt to link the U.S. leader to a shooter who killed 50 people in two New Zealand mosques.

 

The violence against Muslims in New Zealand on Friday put a spotlight on Trump's rhetoric about Islam and revived criticism of his handling of white supremacist violence.

 

"Bring back @JudgeJeanine Pirro," Trump wrote in Twitter posts in which he blamed Democrats for trying to "silence a majority of our Country" and advocated supporters to "stop working soooo hard on being politically correct."

 

At the same time, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney appeared on Sunday television news shows to tamp down criticism that Trump has not been strong enough in condemning hate speech and has fomented anti-Muslim sentiment.

 

"The president is not a white supremacist. I'm not sure how many times we have to say that," Mulvaney said on "Fox News Sunday".

 

On Friday, Trump condemned the "horrible massacre" at the mosques and the White House called the shooting a "vicious act of hate." Asked by a reporter if he saw white nationalism as a rising threat around the world, Trump said: "I don’t really. I think it’s a small group of people."

 

The accused gunman praised Trump in a manifesto as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose."

 

Mulvaney said the mosque massacres were the work of a disturbed individual and it would not be fair to align the shooter with Trump or any other politician. "I disagree that there's a causal link between Donald Trump being president and something like this happening in New Zealand," he told CBS' "Face the Nation."

 

Trump drew strong criticism in the days after a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 when he equated white supremacists with counter-protesters and said "both sides" were to blame.

 

Pirro, a supporter of the president, was rebuked by Fox News last Sunday over comments she made questioning whether a Muslim congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, was more loyal to Islamic sharia law than the U.S. Constitution.

 

Pirro's show, "Justice with Judge Jeanine," was removed from its usual time slot on Saturday night. Fox News has not confirmed Pirro was suspended and said it would not comment further on the matter on Sunday.

 

"Nice message for the president to send three days after a deadly terrorist attack on Muslims - standing up for a host who was suspended for anti-Muslim bigotry," Matthew Miller, a Justice Department spokesman under Democratic President Barack Obama, said on Twitter.

 

Democratic lawmakers on Sunday called on Trump to defend Muslims publicly after the massacres and recognize the threat posed by white supremacists.

 

"His rhetoric doesn't help," Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democratic presidential candidate, said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. "At the very least, he is dividing people. They are using him as an excuse."

 

On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump followed such statements as "I think Islam hates us," with an effort a week into his presidency to ban citizens of several Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. After court challenges, the administration revised the policy.

 

U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Muslim, noted that government data shows a spike in hate crimes in the last decade, citing mass shootings at a synagogue and a black church.

 

"He cannot just say it's a small group of people," she said on CNN. "We need to be speaking up against this and it has to start with him. He needs to do better by us and the country. He needs to speak up and condemn this very loud and very clearly."

 

Hate crimes in the United States jumped 17 percent in 2017, according to FBI data.

 

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Mary Milliken and Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-18

[Samui Bodoh]

"...The president is not a white supremacist. I'm not sure how many times we have to say that..."

 

The problem is I don't believe that; I think most people believe that Trump is both a racist and a white-supremacist. And, I would point out that the public white-supremacists (David Duke and the like) certainly think that he is one of them.

 

I have said it before and (sadly) need to say it again;

 

Donald Trump is an ever-expanding cloud of toxic waste that defiles everything it touches.

 

God help us all.

 

 

[Tug]

That’s our Donald inbracing hatred and divison backing racism we know what you are Donald look at the company you keep

[thaibeachlovers]

Didn't take long for the anti Trumpers to try and imply he is responsible for an event that happened in another country.

Trump must be an amazing person to be responsible for everything that happens in the entire world.

[Grouse]

Trump is a Trump supremacist 

[DoctorG]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Pirro, a supporter of the president, was rebuked by Fox News last Sunday over comments she made questioning whether a Muslim congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, was more loyal to Islamic sharia law than the U.S. Constitution.

How is this any different from Omar saying that Jewish Americans owe allegiance to Israel?

[Tug]

Grouse is 100% correct it’s not about America it’s about Donald a mentally ill bigiot and rasist as far as blaming Donald directly for what that criminal did in nz not directly but his retroic definitely encourages this and as far as being on the left as long as that man has any influence I cannot vote republican he is a blight on us it will take years to repair the damage he has created 

[Chomper Higgot]

29 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

How is this any different from Omar saying that Jewish Americans owe allegiance to Israel?

But but but ... Omar

[quandow]

Why not just call Fox News "State Media for Amerikkka?" Can you imagine how many Republicans' heads would have burst into flames if Obama had suggested CNN rehire one of their media folks who was removed under similar circumstances?

While Trump is not directly responsible, he has fanned the flames of hatred. I saw a montage of some of his rallies where he is calling on his fevered followers to "knock that guy out," "HIT him!" and "I'll pay your legal fees."  And to say some Nazi's are good people? His words have extreme consequences. GAWD, you Trump supporters, wake up!

[Chomper Higgot]

It was FOX that pulled Judge Jeanine Pirro’s show.

 

Not the Democrats, not Liberals, not the Left.

 

FOX.

 

It seems the hatred she was spewing was too much for even FOX to put up with.

 

But of course Illiberal commentator taken off air for spewing hate, how could Trump possibly stay out of that?!

 

 

[CharlieH]

Reported troll comment removed.

[Thainesss]

33 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Not the Democrats, not Liberals, not the Left.

 

You dont think the liberal "hate speech" brigadiers on social media along with democrat funded focus groups screaming at FOX's advertisers had anything to do with it?

[Thainesss]

41 minutes ago, quandow said:

Why not just call Fox News "State Media for Amerikkka?"

 

Call it whatever you want but FOX is the highest rated and most viewed news program nationally (by a long-shot) and one of the primary reasons the left tries so hard to have them silenced, even though it constantly backfires. 

 

44 minutes ago, quandow said:

Can you imagine how many Republicans' heads would have burst into flames if Obama had suggested CNN rehire one of their media folks who was removed under similar circumstances?

 

Not nearly as much as our heads are bursting right now at the New Lefts open anti-Semitic and communist rhetoric and the cover the lefty media gives them. 

 

48 minutes ago, quandow said:

And to say some Nazi's are good people? His words have extreme consequences. GAWD, you Trump supporters, wake up!

 

Fake News. Trump never said that. 

[saminoz]

13 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Call it whatever you want but FOX is the highest rated and most viewed news program nationally (by a long-shot) and one of the primary reasons the left tries so hard to have them silenced, even though it constantly backfires. 

 

 

Not nearly as much as our heads are bursting right now at the New Lefts open anti-Semitic and communist rhetoric and the cover the lefty media gives them. 

 

 

Fake News. Trump never said that. 

But, but, OMar, OMar, OMar, Lefty. Lefty , Lefty!!

lol

[simple1]

8 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Call it whatever you want but FOX is the highest rated and most viewed news program nationally (by a long-shot) and one of the primary reasons the left tries so hard to have them silenced, even though it constantly backfires. 

 

 

Not nearly as much as our heads are bursting right now at the New Lefts open anti-Semitic and communist rhetoric and the cover the lefty media gives them. 

 

 

Fake News. Trump never said that. 

Some US citizens seem to have rather odd perceptions for socialism  / communism. can you provide verified specifics in the US of support for communism / socialism in the mainstream.

 

Correct trump did not praise nazis, but did he specially condemn neo Nazi / anti Semitic messaging at Charlesville by the 'right' of centre?

[Chomper Higgot]

18 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Call it whatever you want but FOX is the highest rated and most viewed news program nationally (by a long-shot) and one of the primary reasons the left tries so hard to have them silenced, even though it constantly backfires. 

 

 

Not nearly as much as our heads are bursting right now at the New Lefts open anti-Semitic and communist rhetoric and the cover the lefty media gives them. 

 

 

Fake News. Trump never said that. 

So the next time we hear Illiberals bleating about the left wing MSM we’ve got you as back up to demonstrate that FOX is the MSM.

[saminoz]

1 minute ago, simple1 said:

Some US citizens seem to have rather odd perceptions for socialism  / communism. can you provide verified specifics in the US of support for communism / socialism in the mainstream.

 

Correct trump did not praise nazis, but did he specially condemn neo Nazi / anti Semitic messaging at Charlesville by the 'right' of centre?

"but did he specially condemn neo Nazi / anti Semitic messaging at Charlesville by the 'right' of centre?"

I think you meant to say "scecifically" there, but it was a worthy slip because, after all, Trump clearly doesn't give a fic! ????

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, DoctorG said:

How is this any different from Omar saying that Jewish Americans owe allegiance to Israel?

Well, for one thing, the President of the United States didn't speak out on her behalf whereas he sure did for Pirro.

[Thainesss]

2 minutes ago, simple1 said:

can you provide verified specifics in the US of support for communism / socialism in the mainstream.

 

Supported by every single democrat running for president:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_New_Deal

 

3 minutes ago, simple1 said:

but did he specially condemn neo Nazi / anti Semitic messaging at Charlesville by the 'right' of centre?

 

Yes, several times. 

[pedro01]

Judge Jeanine is an odd one. She seems very angry all the time. It makes her quite unwatchable. It's the TV equivalent of being shouted at by your wife.

 

Makes you wonder how many levels of hell it's like living with a woman like that.

 

Saying that though - I don't think what she said was particularly bad but the faux outrage from the left was quite predictable. 

 

I also think all this "anti-semitism" stuff is the same faux outrage from the other side. 

 

There's no debate, there's just attempts to silence speech we disagree with.

[Chomper Higgot]

8 minutes ago, pedro01 said:

Judge Jeanine is an odd one. She seems very angry all the time. It makes her quite unwatchable. It's the TV equivalent of being shouted at by your wife.

 

Makes you wonder how many levels of hell it's like living with a woman like that.

 

Saying that though - I don't think what she said was particularly bad but the faux outrage from the left was quite predictable. 

 

I also think all this "anti-semitism" stuff is the same faux outrage from the other side. 

 

There's no debate, there's just attempts to silence speech we disagree with.

Nobody on the left silenced her.

 

FOX pulled her show.

 

But you are correct in your assessment of her delivery.

[Thainesss]

7 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

So the next time we hear Illiberals bleating about the left wing MSM we’ve got you as back up to demonstrate that FOX is the MSM.

 

Fox insnt in the left-wing MSM category so, no. FOX is a singular conservative news outlet up against at least 8 left leaning news outlets, and CNN constantly tries to rat on and get advertisers pulled from FOX.

[Thainesss]

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Nobody on the left silenced her.

 

Except for the attacks on her advertisers. 

 

By the left. 

[Kieran00001]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Didn't take long for the anti Trumpers to try and imply he is responsible for an event that happened in another country.

Trump must be an amazing person to be responsible for everything that happens in the entire world.

 

Are Muslim hate preachers whose followers commit terrorist attacks in other countries negated from all guilt due to being in different country to the attack?

[Thainesss]

2 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

Are Muslim hate preachers whose followers commit terrorist attacks in other countries negated from all guilt due to being in different country to the attack?

 

LOL so Trump is a hate preacher directing white folks worldwide to jihad against brown people. 

 

Its early yet, but this post gets the top slot in dumbest post of the day.

[Kieran00001]

23 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Supported by every single democrat running for president:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_New_Deal

 

 

Yes, several times. 

 

Because the Green New Deal is communism, thanks for the laugh this morning!!!

[thaibeachlovers]

57 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

You dont think the liberal "hate speech" brigadiers on social media along with democrat funded focus groups screaming at FOX's advertisers had anything to do with it?

I bet most of the ones accusing her of hate speech never actually watched her show.

I saw nothing resembling hate speech, but what she said would definitely not go down well with the liberals.

[Kieran00001]

1 minute ago, Thainesss said:

 

LOL so Trump is a hate preacher directing white folks worldwide to jihad against brown people. 

 

Its early yet, but this post gets the top slot in dumbest post of the day.

 

I asked a simple question which made no mention of Trump, you read into it what you wanted to read into it and what you chose to see there was not written by me, and that does not make me the dumb one.

[Thainesss]

1 minute ago, Kieran00001 said:

Because the Green New Deal is communism, thanks for the laugh this morning!!!

 

How is it not? By definition it is literal communism.

[pedro01]

17 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Nobody on the left silenced her.

 

FOX pulled her show.

 

But you are correct in your assessment of her delivery.

 

The left did indeed silence her by making it such an issue and calling for advertisers to pull.

 

Without their faux outrage, no-one would be discussing this.