Fox News’ Lawrence Jones defended his fellow “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday as social media users accused him of saying the word “colored” during a segment about Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kilmeade criticized Harris for her decision to speak to a historically black sorority in Indianapolis, Indiana, rather than be present at Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. The moment sparked an uproar on social media as users misinterpreted Kilmeade’s use of the term “college sorority” as “colored.”
“She’d rather address, in the summer, a sorority, a college sorority, like she can’t get out of that. So that’s her decision. It’s her decision to back up the [anti-Israel] protesters,” Kilmeade said.
White House Correspondents Associations (WHCA) President Eugene Daniels quoted Kilmeade saying “colored” in an X post uploaded Wednesday morning.
“Kilmeade: ‘She’d rather address, in the summer, a sorority … a COLORED sorority, like she can’t get outta that!’ Not this in the year of Beyoncé 2024,” Daniels said.
Kilmeade: “She’d rather address, in the summer, a sorority … a COLORED sorority, like she can’t get outta that!”
Not this in the year of Beyoncé 2024.
— Eugene Daniels (@EugeneDaniels2) July 24, 2024
Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman Jamie Harrison went after Jones for not correcting Kilmeade and sitting on the couch “as quiet as a church mouse.” Jones defended Kilmeade against the “dishonest” accusations , then challenged Harrison to debate the “bullshit” he advocates for. (RELATED: Fox News’ Lawrence Jones Warns DEI Attacks Against Kamala Harris May ‘Tick Off Voters’)
“‘A COLORED sorority” … in 2024 on national tv… this clown thought it was correct and appropriate to use the term ‘colored’ to describe a distinguished and historic African American sorority,” Harrison wrote on X. “But what is even worse… a Black man sat a few feet away on that couch and didn’t correct him. He was as quiet as a church mouse. Folks be prepared for the racism and misogyny… but let’s put them on notice, America is now ‘unburdened’ and we ain’t going back!!!”
Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on July 22, 2024. Harris heading to Wilmington, Delaware, to meet with campaign staff.(Photo by ERIN SCHAFF/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“I’m the black man,” Jones replied in a quote tweet. “You’re so damn dishonest. He said ‘college.’ But that’s all you have. You know the bullshit that you advocate for only brings death, poverty, and destruction to our black communities. You are welcome on the show anytime to debate it. Me and you.”
I’m the black man. You’re so damn dishonest. He said “college.”
But that’s all you have. You know the bullshit that you advocate for only brings death, poverty, and destruction to our black communities. You are welcome on the show anytime to debate it.
Me and you. https://t.co/j4g1G1dDRx
— Lawrence Jones III (@LawrenceBJones3) July 24, 2024
Fox News said Daniels “unnecessarily misaligned” Kilmeade’s remark in a Wednesday statement regarding the matter.
“Eugene Daniels’ now deleted tweet completely misquoted and unnecessarily maligned Brian Kilmeade who clearly said college sorority,” Fox News said in a statement obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Kilmeade confirmed he said “college,” and criticized Daniels for mischaracterizing his words.
“So I said a college sorority, right? No problem. College sorority. This idiot, some jerk, goes out and writes on Twitter, I guess he is, is he Politico? A guy from Politico? He isn’t, alright, he’s not from Politico. Writes on Twitter that I said colored. Now you realize of course, that colored was a term used to describe African Americans in the 19th century,” Kilmeade said.
“Number one, if I don’t even, I’ve never use that word in my life, if you’re listening to what I’m saying, if you know where she’s speaking, why would I even say that? But they went out there and they write that Lawrence Jones was angered by it. Lawrence Jones has since, and to his credit, and we have pushed back and said what the truth is, but if you hear this clip, this is an example of the of how everybody is looking to jump on other people for no reason,” Kilmeade continued.
Harris is scheduled to speak to Zeta Phi Beta at the Indiana Convention Center less than 48 hours after she received the sufficient number of delegates to win the Democratic nomination, according to IndyStar. The Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said the vice president’s goal is to earn momentum among nonwhite female voters in the deep red state of Indiana, which a Democrat has not won since 2008.
The media has accused Republicans of increasing racial attacks against Harris since becoming the presumptive nominee for the Democrats. The New York Times opinion writer Mara Gay said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that Republicans chose to “just try racism” against Harris during a Tuesday segment.
Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida said the term DEI holds the same meaning as the “the n-word” during a CNN interview on Tuesday.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
