The religious right likes to portray itself as the nation’s moral guardians. But earlier this week, we got perhaps the strongest evidence yet that claim is a transparent lie. In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, Lance Wallnau, one of the religious right’s loudest cheerleaders for Donald Trump, told his followers that the numerous allegations of sexual harassment at Fox News Channel were the product of liberals stirring up “spirits and curses and demons” against a network led by someone who was “anointed.”
What Wallnau essentially did was declare that Gretchen Carlson, Andrea Tantaros, Megyn Kelly, Catherine Heldman, and the other women who have come forward to say that they were harassed at the fair and balanced network were being played by the devil. As degrading as that is by itself, he clearly isn’t man enough to say that to their faces. And yet, he expects his followers to believe it, since these allegations are nothing more than an attempt to derail God and Trump’s work to make America great again.
Well, it turns out that this disgraceful and degrading line actually began earlier in the week. Less than 72 hours after Eric Bolling was forced off the air amid reports that he sent lewd pictures to female colleagues, Pat Robertson claimed that this was the latest chapter in a liberal-driven conspiracy to bring down the fair and balanced network.
The Virginia Beach Ayatollah has had some pretty low moments over the years. Yet another one came on Monday’s edition of “The 700 Club.” People for the American Way’s Right Wing Watch got a clip.
When Robertson returned from the first break in Monday’s show, he wondered how one might go about bringing down Fox News. He had a theory–send “some salacious material” to women who worked there, “ostensibly from one of their popular co-hosts or hosts.” The next step would be to publicize it, then shame Fox into taking the host off the air.
Robertson mused that if this process is repeated often enough, “you will have decimated the primetime lineup.” He openly speculated that this was “probably” happening right now–and Bolling was the latest target. He recalled that Bolling appeared on “The 700 Club” earlier this summer, and praised him as “a straight arrow” who was a “a dedicated Catholic” and “a very nice man.”
After recalling how longtime host Bill O’Reilly and network founder Roger Ailes had been pushed out under similar circumstances, Robertson warned his viewers that “it’s so easy to see what is being done.” He called for Fox News and the Murdochs to wake up and realize that “this is a game people are playing.” After all, anyone could make a “salacious piece of literature” and make it look like it came from the likes of Sean Hannity.
As he saw it, this “totally bogus” game was working; MSNBC was now winning the key 18-49 demographic over Fox News. He believed that Fox’ lawyers needed to get out of the way and “let the programmers run that network.”
I’ve learned to expect very little from Robertson over the years. But I had to watch this twice to believe it. He’s essentially claiming that all of those pictures that women received from Bolling are nothing more than a false flag. Um, Marion Gordon? Are you willing to say that to Heldman’s face, rather than from the comfort of your studio? And are you willing to show the evidence for such a supposedly nefarious plot?
Robertson is a lawyer by training. He should know that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. And yet, he hasn’t even begun to provide such evidence. In all likelihood, that’s because there isn’t any evidence to support his claim that this is a massive false flag.
But even without that to consider, what about all the instances where Bolling, Ailes, O’Reilly and others directed lewd comments toward women? And what about the times Ailes told female personalities to “turn around” so he could get a look at them? Are you saying that’s just “a game people are playing”? And are we simply supposed to dismiss the allegations against Bolling because he is a good Catholic and a “straight arrow”?
Robertson has had some pretty low moments in the six decades since he first went on the air. But if this isn’t the worst moment, it’s definitely in the top five. He’s essentially telling his audience to take his word for it that the stomach-churning allegations of harassment at Fox News are nothing more than a game being played by the network’s liberal foes.
Less than 24 hours before this screed aired, Fox News media critic Howard Kurtz scoffed that Bolling’s accusers had yet to come forward. Well, Howard, this is part of the reason. All too often, victims are afraid of being scoffed and mocked in the manner that we saw from Robertson on Monday, and from Wallnau early Tuesday morning.
The fact that this garbage is coming from two supposed ministers of Jesus Christ makes it more outrageous. They should be offering comfort and support to these women, not effectively calling them liars and pawns.
I ask Robertson the same question that I asked Wallnau. Is he willing to say this to the faces of the women who have spoken up, rather than from the comfort of his studio? Unless he is willing to do so, he should JUST SHUT UP!
(featured image courtesy 700 Club’s Facebook)
