Fox News star Laura Ingraham delivered a racist and xenophobic rant Wednesday about the "changing demographics" of America, blaming both illegal and legal immigration, as well as progressive leaders on the left. It was an outpour that was so racially-charged that none other than former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, David Duke, endorsed it as "important."
"One of the most important (truthful) monologues in the history of MSM [mainstream media]," Duke tweeted, linking to a short video of Ingraham. His tweet has since been deleted.
"In some parts of the country, it does seem like the America that we know and love doesn’t exist anymore," Ingraham said on Fox Wednesday. "Massive demographic changes have been foisted on the American people, and they're changes that none of us ever voted for and most of us don't like."
"Now much of this is related to both illegal, and in some cases, legal immigration that, of course, progressives love," she added, before discussing very specific instances of violence committed by a select few of immigrants who had crossed the border illegally. Of course, Ingraham then used these examples, without context, to advocate for stronger immigration laws, more border security and an end to sanctuary cities.
Although Fox News does not usually take issue with its hosts wading into racism, after the Duke endorsement, Ingraham attempted Thursday to further clarify her points.
"I want to start tonight by addressing my commentary at the top of last night’s show," she said. "A message to those who are distorting my views, including all white nationalists and especially one racist freak whose name I will not even mention: You do not have my support. You don’t represent my views, and you are antithetical to the beliefs I hold dear."
Ingraham did not mention Duke on her, but it is likely that he was the "racist freak" to whom she was referring.
"Despite what some may be contending, I made explicitly clear that my commentary had nothing to do with race or ethnicity," Ingraham continued. "Furthermore, as I have said repeatedly on this show, merit-based immigration does wonders for our country's economy, our way of lif, and how we define our country. I even said that in my opening thoughts last night!"
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"I want to make it really clear that my concern will continue to remain with the families who have suffered the tragic results of illegal immigration, the children put in dangerous and unfair situations at the border and all those border agents around the country who work to keep our country safe," the Fox News host concluded.
Ingraham's apology was deemed insufficient by the conservative political commentator S.E. Cupp. In a tweet, the HLN host wrote: "No. You said EXPLICITLY that even legal immigrants were why America is unrecognizable. You don’t get take backsies."
To many, that sounded racist. That's because it is. She isn't complaining that the country's getting older or younger, richer or poorer, that we're having more or fewer children or moving to the suburbs. She's complaining that people who come to America from other countries -- even legally -- are making this country unrecognizable to her. Indeed, to 'us.'Who 'us' means is also clear: Fox News viewers, who are predominantly 65 and older and white. I know many of those viewers, and I'm sad to say that message probably resonated with a lot of them.
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