Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld Gets Slammed by White House Over Holocaust Remarks

Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld Gets Slammed by White House Over Holocaust Remarks

Edited by: TJVNews.com

This week, Fox News found itself embroiled in yet another controversy as the White House condemned remarks made by one of its hosts, Greg Gutfeld. According to a report in the New York Times, Gutfeld’s comments, made during a debate about Florida’s new African American history curriculum, sparked outrage for their insensitive comparison between Jews’ survival in Nazi concentration camps and the portrayal of slaves benefiting from their skills during enslavement. The White House spokesperson, Andrew Bates, called these remarks “an obscenity” and denounced Fox News for broadcasting them, as was reported by the NYT.

Greg Gutfeld, who recently took over Fox News’ 10 p.m. time slot, made the controversial remarks while discussing Florida’s new African American history curriculum. The NYT report indicated that the curriculum, supported by Governor Ron DeSantis, suggested that slaves developed skills that could sometimes be used for personal benefit, which drew widespread criticism.

During a heated exchange with co-host Jessica Tarlov on  “The Five” about Florida’s new African American history curriculum, Greg Gutfeld made statements comparing the survival strategies of Jews in concentration camps to the supposed benefits slaves derived from their skills during enslavement. The NYT report said that he referenced Viktor Frankl, a Jewish psychiatrist who wrote about his survival experiences at Auschwitz and other Nazi camps, stating that utility and skills were crucial for staying alive in such brutal conditions. According to the NYT report, the remarks were made in response to criticism of Florida’s new history standards, which have been rebuked for their depiction of slaves having gained personal benefits from their skills.

However, his comments were met with concern and condemnation from many, including the White House.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates swiftly issued a statement condemning Fox News for broadcasting Gutfeld’s remarks. The NYT report said that he called the comments a “horrid, dangerous, extreme lie” that disrespects the memory of those who suffered during slavery and the Holocaust. Bates emphasized that there was nothing good about either slavery or the Holocaust, refuting any suggestion of benefiting from such horrors, the report added.

Fox News and the Biden White House have had a longstanding contentious relationship. The network has been unapologetically critical of the Biden administration, while the White House has often attacked Fox News’ credibility, viewing it as the leading source of conservative news, as was reported by the NYT. Both sides have not shied away from publicly airing their differences, leading to tense exchanges and heated debates.

This incident is not the first time Fox News has faced backlash over allegedly offensive statements made by its hosts. The network previously settled a substantial $787.5 million payment to Dominion Voting Systems for broadcasting false information about their involvement in election fraud, the NYT report noted. Additionally, advertiser boycotts triggered by what was perceived as racist sentiments promoted by hosts like Tucker Carlson left Fox News with few reputable companies willing to advertise. However, some advertisers started to return after Carlson’s show was canceled in April, as was reported by the NYT.