WATCH: Gary Johnson schools Fox News' Eric Bolling on Black Lives Matter

The Fox News host cited crime rates to argue that "blacks are being treated more fairly than whites"

By Sophia Tesfaye

Senior Politics Editor

Published August 24, 2016 1:19PM (EDT)

Fox News Eric Bolling is one of the cable news network's biggest Donald Trump booster, second only to Sean Hannity, and he is the conservative outlet's biggest Black Lives Matter critic, again, second only to Sean Hannity.

On Tuesday's edition of "The Five," the co-host face-off against Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson about his support for the anti-police brutality movement.

“You said something the other day that really, just kind of rocked my brain a little bit,” Bolling told Johnson. "You praised Black Lives Matter," Bolling, who has compared the movement to ISIS, said incredulously.

"Yes," Johnson acknowledged.

“And you also pushed back rather aggressively on the phrase All Lives Matter,” Bolling continued. "Why?"

“Not a pushback, but all lives do matter” Johnson responded. “But when it comes to whites, guess what? We’re not being shot at the rate of six times blacks are being shot at.”

"When it comes to the war on drugs," the former New Mexico governor continued, "if you are of color, there is a four times more likelihood that you will end up behind bars."

"So it is real."

“Eric, look, what I hope I said was," Johnson told Bolling, "I’ve had my head in the sand over this.”

"I'd like everybody to watch that documentary on OJ Simpson and take a look at what transpired before the trial," Johnson suggested.

"Can I just clarify though?" a skeptical Bolling interjected. "Blacks are being shot six times more often than whites, but they're committing eight times the amount of crimes than whites."

"Under those numbers, blacks are being treated more fairly than whites under those numbers," Bolling offered.

Watch via Mediate:

Hours later on Fox News, Sean Hannity was given a standing ovation when he shut down a Black Lives Matter protest during a Donald Trump town hall with a message: "All lives matter."

Watch via Media Matters:


By Sophia Tesfaye

Sophia Tesfaye is Salon's senior editor for news and politics, and resides in Washington, D.C. You can find her on Twitter at @SophiaTesfaye.

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