Fox News Contributor Asks If March for Our Lives Is 'Way to Goof Off'

Fox News contributor Gary B. Smith isn’t so sure about the March for Our Lives taking place in Washington D.C. and other other cities around the country tomorrow.

On Friday Smith asked a survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School whether his classmates who also escaped the carnage were just using the tragedy as an excuse to “goof off.”

“You got a large percentage of your classmates marching,” Smith told shooting survivor Kyle Kashuv during an appearance on the Fox Business program “Mornings with Maria.” “I remember my days from high school. You think most of this are really just viewing the march as just a way to goof off or do you think they are really serious?”

Also Read: Bill O'Reilly Hit With Defamation Lawsuit From Former Fox News Anchor

The shooting at Kyle’s high school in February left 17 dead. Smith has been with the network since 1999.

Kashuv, who has made a name for himself as Fox-friendly advocate for second amendment rights in the aftermath of the shooting, seemed to agree with Smith.

“I think there are definitely some people who are coming seriously, but some people saw you could get a free four-day trip to Washington D.C. and why not,” said Kashuv who added earlier that he would not be attending the march but meeting with legislators “and pushing for actual change.”

Many student’s trips to D.C. will be subsidized by a GoFundMe set up for the effort which has taken in more than $3.4 million.

Kashuv also used his appearance on the network to swipe at Time Magazine, which left him off a recent cover honoring Parkland students’ campaign to stop gun violence in schools.

“I didn’t know Time magazine was still a thing,” said Kashuv. “They were trying to represent one point of view, the Democrat point of view, the anti-gun movement.”

“Inaction is inexcusable.” TIME's editor @efelsenthal on what we can learn from the student teachers in Parkland, Fla. https://t.co/CstZx1oCN7 pic.twitter.com/GsMSrbyAqY

— TIME (@TIME) March 23, 2018

The Evolution of Roger Ailes, From 'The Mike Douglas Show' to Fox News Innovator (Photos)

The television executive has evolved from producing a talk-variety show to running one of the biggest satellite news television channel in the U.S.
Fox News
Born and raised in Ohio, Roger Ailes attended Ohio University as a young man, majoring in radio and television. During his time there, he served as station manager for the university's WOUB radio for two years.
Ohio University
Ailes worked his way up to executive producer on the syndicated daytime talk show "The Mike Douglas Show," which began as a local program in Cleveland before expanding nationwide.
Westinghouse Broadcasting Company
In 1968, Ailes got an Emmy nod when "The Mike Douglas Show" was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming, ultimately losing to NBC's "Today" show.
After first meeting Richard Nixon on the set of "The Mike Douglas Show," Ailes was hired by the then-presidential candidate to be his media advisor during the campaign, which marked his first professional foray into politics.
Ailes continued consulting on presidential campaigns, serving as media consultant for three successful Republicans: Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Ailes produced the famous "revolving door" ad for Bush, which painted Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. The piece was widely regarded as the most influential ad of the political cycle.
In 1988, Ailes co-authored a self-help book with Jon Kraushar. "You Are the Message" shared Ailes' tips for effective communication and public performances.
Simon and Schuster
In 1992, Ailes served as executive producer on a syndicated late-night talk show hosted by right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, which ran for four years before coming to an end in 1996.
Ailes Productions
Ailes was named president of CNBC in 1993, where he launched the new cable network America's Talking, which was shut down and replaced with future Fox News competitor MSNBC.
America's Talking
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch hired Ailes to serve as founding CEO and Chariman of the Fox News Channel in 1996, which soon grew to become the most popular cable news network in the country.
Getty Images
In 2016, Ailes was accused of sexual harassment by ousted Fox News host Gretchen Carlson. In July, Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes, claiming years of inappropriate behavior and sexual advances.
Getty Images
On July 20, 2016, Ailes was forced to resign from Fox News amid the growing outcry over the sexual harassment allegations.
Getty Images
Ailes died on May 18, 2017 at age 77.