The set of “Fox & Friends” took some time Wednesday to weigh in on the ongoing protest by some NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem.
On hand was Fox New contributor Tomi Lahren, who unloaded with her usual firebrand rhetoric — part of which included an admission that she really had no idea why players were kneeling at all.
“This is a serious question that I have for these players,” said Lahren. “I would like to ask these players, what exactly are you kneeling for and why have you chosen the flag and the anthem to do it? I bet if we asked 100 players we would get a 100 different answers. And then, furthermore, I would like to ask those same players what would it take for you to then stand and respect the flag and the anthem and again you’d probably get 100 different answers if you get an answer at all.”
It’s unclear where Lahen’s “100 different answers” line comes from. Since being ignited by Colin Kaepernick, the NFL kneelers have been consistent in their message that the protests have been in response to police violence and racial injustice. In a New York Times Op-Ed in September, Kaepernick’s NFL colleague and fellow kneeler, Eric Reid, explained the matter:
“In early 2016, I began paying attention to reports about the incredible number of unarmed black people being killed by the police. The posts on social media deeply disturbed me, but one in particular brought me to tears: the killing of Alton Sterling in my hometown Baton Rouge, La. This could have happened to any of my family members who still live in the area,” he wrote, “A few weeks later, during preseason, my teammate Colin Kaepernick chose to sit on the bench during the national anthem to protest police brutality.”
Lahren’s casual admission of ignorance, raised eyebrows with at least one influential critic, CNN’s Brian Stelter, who wondered aloud on Twitter why she would be given a platform to speak about the protests at all.
Serious question: If @TomiLahren doesn’t know, why is she booked on TV to talk about this topic? https://t.co/9iziZLQg1f
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 18, 2017