Fox News’ Shepard Smith didn’t hide his feelings after ABC aired a snippet of the interview in which President Obama came out in favor of gay marriage.
“The president of the United States, now in the 21st century,” Smith said.
Later on his “Studio B” show, in a segment with “Special Report” host Bret Baier, Smith doubled down by saying Republicans were on “the wrong side of history.”
On the Thursday broadcast of his radio show, however, conservative talker Rush Limbaugh challenged Smith’s statement, and asked where the anchor thought gay marriage been a winner electorally.
“Republicans on the wrong side of history — our country has finally hit the 21st century, according to Shep Smith,” Limbaugh said. “Republicans without much question on the wrong side of history, without much question at all, wrong side of history. Shep, where has the issue won? Where has it emerged victorious, Shep, outside your house? Where has this issue won an election? Let me know what state, tell me where it has happened, even California.”
Limbaugh referred to Baier’s response to Smith, in which Baier mentioned a Gallup Poll showing a 52/48 divide on the issue. However, Baier does note wherever it has been put to a vote in statewide referendums, gay marriage has lost overwhelmingly.
“Exactly right,” Limbaugh said. “What are you going to look at, Shep? You going to look at the polls or you want to look at the votes? Shep, did you even hear what he said? Nothing has changed. It is still up to ‘the hicks and the hayseeds’ in the states.”