In the ultimate act of unpatriotic disrespect for President Obama, Fox Business allowed contributor Ralph Peters to curse and repeatedly slur the nation’s Commander In Chief.
Video:
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Transcript via Media Matters:
STUART VARNEY (HOST): Let’s get right to the president’s speech last night on terrorism, and bring in Lt. Col. Ralph Peters. Alright, Ralph, I have a question for you. I know you watched last night. I want to know, what were you saying to the TV as the president was speaking? What was your commentary as the president’s speech unfolded?
RALPH PETERS: Well, first of all he keeps speaking about “we can’t give in to our fears.” You know, “don’t be afraid.” Look, Mr. President we’re not afraid we’re angry, we’re pissed off, we’re furious. We want you to react, we want you to do something. You’re afraid. I mean this guy is such a total pussy, its stunning. And, you know, we want — we the people, the American people, whom he does not know in any intimate sort of manner, we want action. We want action against Islamic State and then — then, when the president is telling us he is going to destroy ISIS. This is a president who has done more harm to American police departments than he has done to Islamic State. This is a president who restrains our military. He uses it not to defeat ISIS, but for political purposes for political cover. This is a president who doesn’t want to hurt our enemies. This is a president who cares more about thugs in Guantanamo, or thugs in Ferguson, Missouri, than he does about law-abiding American citizens and their right to live in safety and peace.
VARNEY: I can tell you are super angry, and I asked you what your reaction was, but I have got to call you — you can’t use language like that on the program, OK? I’m sorry.
PETERS: I’m sorry.
VARNEY: OK, accept that. Now, moving on, what was new in the president’s presentation last night? Was there anything — was there anything in his presentation last night which would make a contribution to defeating ISIS, or erasing our fears? Anything?
PETERS: No. I mean, like — with The New York Times, he’s convinced that the problem is gun control, that’s what we’ve got to fix. And the problem is Islamist terror. Now, certainly Stuart, we could use more intelligent approaches to keeping guns out of the hands of psychotics. The Founding Fathers did not intend for every drunk psycho to have a machine gun collection. But law-abiding Americans owning guns is not the problem here. The problem is Islamist terrorism, and the president will not even say “Islamist terrorism.”
VARNEY: Ralph, I’m sorry. I’ve got to interrupt again. You used some very strong language there about the President of the United States, and I’m the anchor of Varney & Co., and I have to ask you either you should apologize for that, or take it back.
PETERS: I apologize. I apologize.
VARNEY: OK, alright. What would you like to have seen the president say last night?
PETERS: I’m not interested in what he says anymore. I want him to do, I want him to act. I want him to take on Islamic State. I want him to unleash our military. And yes, Stuart, I am angry — I do apologize for giving into my anger, but I’m — I feel like you know the American people understand where I’m coming from on this. My choice of words was incorrect, but my sentiment, I think, is shared by many.
VARNEY: OK. Ralph, thank you very much indeed we will see you again very, very soon. Calm down, lad. Calm down.
Notice that when offered the option of apologizing to Fox Business viewers for his language, or taking his slur against the President Of The United States back, Peters chose to apologize, but stand by his words.
Any responsible journalistic organization would have cut the interview off and thrown Peters off of the air, but this is Fox, so Peters was allowed to continue.
Fox News should announce that Ralph Peters will no longer be appearing on their network, but there has been no apology for disrespecting a successful Commander In Chief that has done more to kill and capture terrorists than the bloodthirsty troops on the ground ideology that Fox guests like Peters continually push.
The entire Peters rant was full of inaccuracies about this president harming police departments, taking away guns, and being weak on terrorism, but his slur against the nation’s Commander In Chief was a rare moment where the ugly bias that drives Fox News was on explicit display for the world to see.
A real p***y invades Iraq and gives up on finding Osama Bin Laden. A true coward sends young American men and women off to war on false pretenses so that he can win another election.
President Obama is the leader that Republicans wish they could be, and their hatred of his success is what drives them to patriotically disrespect the Commander In Chief.
Fox News owes the President an apology for their disrespect.
You can sign our petition here telling Fox News to apologize to Obama.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
