A liberal Fox News guest took the opportunity on Thursday to call out the network for repeatedly peddling the white supremacist theory that was the self-stated reason for the alleged Buffalo shooter’s killing spree last week.
Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, of course, waved away the criticism, saying her network would allow the court to “adjudicate the case without us commenting on it” before turning to a conservative guest to offer a rebuttal.
Following the horrific massacre in which a gunman killed 10 people at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood, much media attention has focused on the alleged shooter’s embrace of the so-called “Great Replacement” theory. The racist notion, also known as white replacement theory, claims liberals plan to replace white voters in western countries with non-white immigrants.
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Immediately following the shooting, however, Fox News gave scant coverage to the fact that the suspect was motivated by the racist conspiracy theory. Of course, this omission wasn’t exactly surprising considering that Fox News star Tucker Carlson alone had pushed a version of replacement theory at least 400 times on his show. (Addressing the backlash over his full-throated endorsement of the conspiracy, Carlson played dumb by insisting this week he’s “still not sure exactly what it is” before claiming the “Great Replacement” theory actually comes “from the left.”)
Towards the end of a Thursday debate segment on The Faulkner Focus, Democratic political adviser Kristal Knight took issue with trollish billionaire Elon Musk’s assertion that Democrats have become the “party of division of hate.” Musk added that he would now vote for Republicans.
“I think it’s interesting that Elon Musk thinks that the Democratic Party is the party of hate when the Republican Party produced a failed insurrection on Jan. 6,” she reacted. “This is also the party that has supported the ‘Big Lie.’”
After calling out a Tennessee pastor for preaching anti-Democratic rhetoric and rigged election lies in his sermons, Knight then noted that Fox News itself has been responsible for mainstreaming the white supremacist idea behind the Buffalo massacre.
“We also have to remember the ‘Great Replacement’ theory that has been spewed on this network alone, and the Buffalo shooter referenced it,” Knight continued. “These are all remnants of the Republican Party. That's the party of hate.”
A stone-faced Faulkner did not seem amused by her guest’s accusation.
“We're gonna let them adjudicate that case without us commenting on it,” she retorted. “And you can have your opinion on whatever it is.”
She then turned to right-wing Fox News contributor Charlie Hurt for “rebuttal,” who said it was “beyond reprehensible” to take the “unthinkable tragedy” in Buffalo and “advance a political agenda” from it.
“That will take care of all of what you said, Kristal,” Faulkner gleefully snarked.
“I don’t think so, but thanks for having me,” Knight shot back.
