How Conservatives Exploited The Charlie Hebdo Terror Attack In Paris

Special Programs Guns & Public Safety

Written by Sophia Tesfaye, Olivia Kittel, Alexandrea Boguhn & Cal Colgan

Published

Right-wing media rushed to exploit the deadly terrorist attack on a French satirical newspaper in Paris, placing blame on Democrats and citing the tragedy to push for renewed surveillance of U.S. Muslims, discriminatory profiling, looser gun regulations, and stricter immigration laws.

12 Killed, Dozens Wounded In Terror Attack On French Satirical Newspaper Charlie Hebdo

Terror Attack Leaves 12 Dead In France. On January 7, 12 people were killed after an attack in Paris on Charlie Hebdo, a French weekly satirical newspaper. According to The New York Times, French President Francois Holldande quickly condemned the shooting as “a terrorist attack without a doubt” before raising the nation's security alert. [The New York Times, 1/7/15]

Right-Wing Media Rush To Exploit Tragedy...

...Citing Attack To Slam Democrats

Fox's Elisabeth Hasselbeck Uses French Attack To Criticize New York City Mayor De Blasio. During the January 7 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, network national security analyst KT McFarland blamed the shooting at Charlie Hebdo headquarters on France's “really strict gun control” and “politically correct” policies that treat everyone equally. Echoing disdain for policies that treat everyone equally, co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck added that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio threatens the city's security by demoralizing the New York Police Department and painting the NYPD with “a racist brush” when officers act on that principle. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 1/7/15]

Fox Analyst: Terrorists Responsible For Paris Attack “Are The People Sen. Feinstein Doesn't Even Want To Waterboard.” On the January 7 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, strategic analyst Ralph Peters cited the shooting to attack Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), invoking the recently released Senate Intelligence report on CIA interrogation techniques. Peters proclaimed that “these terrorists who did this monstrous attack in Parisare the people Senator Feinstein doesn't even want to waterboard,” adding that the Obama administration is too “soft on radical Islam.” [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 1/7/15]

Fox Contributor: Hillary Clinton “Wants You To Empathize” With Attackers. Following news of the attack on Charlie Hebdo, Fox News contributor Richard Grenell used the attack to smear Hillary Clinton, twisting remarks she made at Georgetown University to claim that she “wants you to empathize” with those responsible for the attack:

[Twitter.com, 1/7/15]

Breitbart.com's Ben Shapiro: When Will Obama And Clinton Call For The Arrest Of Charlie Hebdo Staff  “For Inciting Islamic Violence.”  Breitbart.com editor-at-large Ben Shapiro used the tragedy to invoke tired Benghazi smears of Hillary Clinton and President Obama, asking when they would “recommend we arrest the rest of the Charlie Hebbdo staff for inciting Islamic violence?”

[Twitter.com, 1/7/15]

... Calling For Renewed Surveillance Of Muslims

Fox Host Eric Bolling Calls For Reinstatement Of NYPD's Surveillance Program On Muslims. On the January 7 edition of Fox News' Outnumbered, Eric Bolling argued that the attack in Paris evidenced the need for NYPD to resume scrapped surveillance program on Muslim communities:

BOLLING: And if you're anywhere near New York, you should feel the same anger, if not more so, because you have a mayor who is pointing finger at cops saying, 'look, cops shouldn't profile African-American men. They shouldn't do it.' Well, should cops profile Muslims? Should cops profile Muslims within a range that, frankly, have been responsible for most of the terror attacks in this country and abroad? I would go on a limb and say, yes, you have to give cops, law enforcement, that tool that they have used so effectively for so long, to be able to say, this is the type of person who has done it in the past. Not saying he did it or will do it. But you know, we're going to keep an eye on them. We're going to keep a -- remember this whole issue with the NYPD listening in on some mosques here in the city? And there was huge pushback. Meanwhile, some of them were tied to some extremist events. I think this is bad. I think Mayor de Blasio pointing the finger at cops, taking tools out of their hands, for whatever, for whomever they want to stop and frisk, listen in to. It's very, very dangerous in light of what's going on around the world. I think they should rethink that. [Fox News, Outnumbered, 1/7/15]

Fox Anchor Martha MacCalllum: It Appeases Terrorists Like Those In Paris To End NYPD's Surveillance Of Mosques. On the January 7 edition of America's Newsroom, co-anchor Martha MacCallum suggested that the end of the NYPD's surveillance program on mosques coupled with public pressure against other NYPD profiling tactics is a “combination has to be exactly what these kind of terrorists would love to see happen across the country because it makes things much softer for them.” [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 1/7/15]

Fox Analyst Blames Attack On “Political Correctness,” Calls For More Profiling To Prevent Future Attacks. On the January 7 edition of Fox News' Real Story with Gretchen Carlson, K.T. McFarland suggested religious profiling could prevent similar attacks in the United States, arguing, “That's what we need to do, is to focus on that very small percentage of the population who are willing to do these things instead of treating everybody the same because we don't want to offend anybody. We don't want to be -- you know, we need to be so politically correct.'” [Fox News, The Real Story, 1/7/15]

... Pushing For Less Gun Safety Regulations

National Review Online: More Guns Would Make Public Safer From “Paris-Style Attacks.” National Review Online's Jim Geraghty used the Paris attack to advocate for more guns in public places in the U.S., suggesting “media offices in New York City [and] Washington” might benefit from more guns by making it more “likely that any attempted attack would face armed response from ordinary citizens much quicker.” [National Review Online, 1/7/15]

Fox Military Analyst Claims “Communist Mayor” De Blasio Will Disarm NYPD. On Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade suggested the fact that some in Paris' police department “choose not evento carry a gun,” was partly responsible for the tragedy, saying “that thankfully is not the case in New York.” Network military analyst Tom McInerney countered by predicting that “communist mayor” de Blasio may eventually push to disarm police in New York City. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 1/7/15]

Fox Host Kennedy: “Best Thing That Americans Can Do Is Arm Themselves” To Fight Terrorists. Outnumbered hosts agreed that Americans “are being hunted” by terrorists, and network host Kennedy added that “I think the best thing that Americans can do is arm themselves.” [Fox News, Outnumbered, 1/7/15]

Katie Pavlich Echoes Kennedy: “Amen” To Americans Arming Themselves.  Fox contributor Katie Pavlich took to Twitter to echo Kennedy's remarks: 

[Twitter.com, 1/7/15]

 And Blaming Immigration Laws For Attack

Laura Ingraham: France "Reap[s] What They Sow" With Immigration Policy. On the January 7 edition of Courtside Entertainment Group's The Laura Ingraham Show, Ingraham blamed the tragic attack in Paris on France's immigration policy, saying “the principle of multiculturalism and open borders... is pure insanity, a suicide pact.” [Courtside Entertainment Group, The Laura Ingraham Show, 1/7/15]

Media Research Center's Dan Gainor: Terror Attack In France Is A “Result Of Unlimited Islamic Immigration.” Dan Gainor of the conservative Media Research Center blamed the Paris shooting on “unlimited Islamic immigration”:

[Twitter.com, 1/7/15]

 Bolling: France's “Arms Wide Open” Immigration Policy “Breeds This Type Of Extremism.” On Outnumbered, Bolling pinned the attack partly on France's “open” immigration policy and Muslim population, saying “they have a very open, arms wide open, come with us, you're welcome here” policy “that breeds this type of extremism.” [Fox News, Outnumbered, 1/7/15]