Glenn Beck: Obama Is a Racist
Fox News Channel commentator Glenn Beck said he believes President Barack Obama is a racist.
Beck made the statement during a guest appearance Tuesday on the "Fox & Friends" morning show. He said Obama has exposed himself as a person with "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture."
His remarks came during a discussion of Obama's reaction to the arrest of Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. Gates is black and was arrested for disorderly conduct by a white policeman over a misunderstanding about a break-in at Gates' home.
An Obama spokesman, William Burton, said the White House had no comment on Beck.
Beck's statement was challenged on the air by Fox host Brian Kilmeade, who noted that most of the people who work for the nation's first black president are white.
"I'm not saying he doesn't like white people," Beck said. "He has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist."
Beck wondered, during the discussion, what other president would immediately jump on the police for their actions in the case. Obama said in a news conference that he believed the police acted stupidly in the case, but later backtracked from the statement and invited Gates and the police officer, Sgt. James Crowley, to the White House for a conciliatory meeting later this week.
Bill Shine, Fox News senior vice president of programming, told the TVNewser Web site that Beck had "expressed a personal opinion which represented his own views, not those of the Fox News Channel. And as with all commentators in the cable news arena, he is given the freedom to express his opinions."
Racial controversies are hardly new to presidents. In 2005, entertainer Kanye West said during a telethon after Hurricane Katrina that President George W. Bush "doesn't care about black people."
Beck, also a radio host and best-selling author, was an immediate hit with Fox News Channel viewers, starting in January when he made the jump from HLN (formerly CNN Headline News).
Beck didn't speak about the racial comments on his own daily Fox show Tuesday.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Beck made the statement during a guest appearance Tuesday on the "Fox & Friends" morning show. He said Obama has exposed himself as a person with "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture."
His remarks came during a discussion of Obama's reaction to the arrest of Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. Gates is black and was arrested for disorderly conduct by a white policeman over a misunderstanding about a break-in at Gates' home.
An Obama spokesman, William Burton, said the White House had no comment on Beck.
Beck's statement was challenged on the air by Fox host Brian Kilmeade, who noted that most of the people who work for the nation's first black president are white.
"I'm not saying he doesn't like white people," Beck said. "He has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist."
Beck wondered, during the discussion, what other president would immediately jump on the police for their actions in the case. Obama said in a news conference that he believed the police acted stupidly in the case, but later backtracked from the statement and invited Gates and the police officer, Sgt. James Crowley, to the White House for a conciliatory meeting later this week.
Bill Shine, Fox News senior vice president of programming, told the TVNewser Web site that Beck had "expressed a personal opinion which represented his own views, not those of the Fox News Channel. And as with all commentators in the cable news arena, he is given the freedom to express his opinions."
Racial controversies are hardly new to presidents. In 2005, entertainer Kanye West said during a telethon after Hurricane Katrina that President George W. Bush "doesn't care about black people."
Beck, also a radio host and best-selling author, was an immediate hit with Fox News Channel viewers, starting in January when he made the jump from HLN (formerly CNN Headline News).
Beck didn't speak about the racial comments on his own daily Fox show Tuesday.
Popular in Politics
- Obama and Berlin: Faded echoes meet new realities
- Senators: U.S. must take "more decisive" military action in Syria
- House Republicans pass 20-week limit on abortions 263 Comments
- Smooth, on-time Obamacare rollout no sure thing: GAO
- Immigration reform would cut deficit, analysis shows
- Obama renews push for a nuclear disarmament legacy
- Bill Ayers: Obama should be tried for war crimes
- GOP Sen. Murkowski backs same-sex marriage
Well, there is his pastor who is a Black Theologist(Obama sat in his church for decades).... I suggest all research Black Theology.
There is the professor friend as well(who openly hates whites).
Obama seems to be surrounded by radical friends. Radicalists are always full of hate.
Obama is a a typical politican- lair, racist, and believes people are too stupid to demand more than the gist of his policies. The color of his skin does not make him immune to criticism of his policies, actions, and social life. This is America. I am bi-racial... and I think he is a poorly disguised racist. If I can say it- YOU CAN TOO!
He is NOT any better than the last president. A president should be free of criticisim- or we would live in Iran or Russia.
By the way- ANYONE notice Obama un-doing the Bush policies that degraded our rights to privacy and such? NO?! He is just as bad or even worse then Bush- dont lie to yourself in order to be politically correct. AND NO PARTY SHOULD TOUCH THE CONSTITUTION! Amendments to such should be much longer than some Smucks term in office.
Second, I have never heard of Glenn Beck before today. I haven't had cable in 8 years and I don't think I've missed much. But I have heard of him now. And now I'm curious about the entire interview and the rest of what was said. Thanks to everyone getting fired up, you've given this guy a whole pile of free advertising. You could have just let him fade into the night and die a slow, quiet network death. But not now. You've given him wings.
Finally, I find the arguments about which way the networks lean humorous. Try reading the BBC, Reuters and other world news agencies and start finding out about what is happening in and with our country that isn't reported by ANY of them. It is truly shocking. While people argue over network political leanings and a network talking head, they're missing the real substance of what is happening in our country and the world. Time to wake up people.
As least the advertising executives many of whom (are most likely republican) had the decency to stand up and not advertise in his slot.
Even they realize that this type of attack on a new PRESIDENT does not help the UNITED STATES. I used to like Glenn BECK AND thought he wAS PRETTY fair but now I know that he is not genuine. Needs to probably apologize in public to the President and maybe if the president forgives him he can gain back some of his reputation.