Long gone are the days when a tragedy united Americans. Now it seems that media pundits, politicians, and professional Tweeters can’t wait to twist any kind of tragedy to fit their preferred political agenda. So, Glenn breaks down the actual FACTS about the shooting in Buffalo, New York: What the perpetrator said he believed, why stricter gun laws could NOT have prevented this, and why it’s a LIE that conservatives are to blame for this man’s racist act…
TranscriptBelow is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Anyway -- yeah. So best of luck. We have you in our thoughts. Not in our prayers. But we have you in our thoughts. In your ongoing, extensive plastic surgery, you're doing.
This is from the Daily Beast. If Biden and the Democrats still have to answer for defund the police and CRT, the G.O.P. should answer for the racist, violent theory, that they've pushed. Republicans in the conservative media ecosystem have to answer for the blood on their hands.
Either through innuendo or direct statements, they continue to promote the white supremacy great replacement theory. Which is yet, again, radicalized, a terrorist to commit violence against people of color, and they should be held accountable for their role in it.
Okay. I would like to know, do you know anyone, who is upset that America will, what? By 2050, be white, and whites won't be in charge?
PAT: Not a single person.
GLENN: I don't know a single person.
Have you ever heard a candidate, for the Republican Party, ever talk about that?
PAT: Nope.
GLENN: Okay. I haven't either.
PAT: We've never talked about it ever.
GLENN: We've never talked about it.
PAT: On or off the air.
GLENN: Correct. It is not an issue with the G.O.P. It may be the issue with some people.
And it is an issue online, but that's not a G.O.P. theory.
That's a Nazi theory. That's a racist theory. That's a Democratic Klan theory.
All right. We are still learning more about Payton Gendron. This is from the Daily Beast. The 18-year-old suspected terrorist who killed ten people. Suspected terrorist.
I mean, he surrendered at the scene. Killed ten people in a racially motivated attack in Buffalo. However, it is clear from his alleged manifesto, that the great replacement theory, which is now a mainstream G.O.P. talking point.
PAT: What? No. It's a flatout lie. A complete lie.
STU: A talking point?
PAT: Never. I've never heard.
STU: Continues to radicalize men to commit violence, yet some Republican leaders and conservative pundits continue to promote this hate for the sake of votes, profit, and ratings. Never mentioned. I don't know anyone in my industry, that believes it. And is promoting it.
By the way, for those who are like, you talk about the borders. That's not replacement theory. That's chaos. That's what that is. Enough is enough, until Republican leaders and conservative happied stars. I think they're talking about you, Pat. Could be talking about, Pat. But I don't want to bring him up. Because of that horrible, horrendous scar that -- anyway, unless the conservative media stars explicitly renounce this supremacist conspiracy theory, condemn it, and disassociate it from its peddlers. If they don't, it's fair to conclude, they're entirely complicit with the message.
Stu -- Pat, do you -- do you renounce this white supremacy theory? Do you condemn it?
PAT: Yes. Yes.
GLENN: Will you disassociate from all of its peddlers?
PAT: Completely. Except I never associated with them to begin with.
GLENN: No. And I don't know who they are. I mean, if you point them out, let me know. I don't know who they are.
Journalists and reporters must repeatedly hound Republican officials with follow-up questions. Recall Democrats and President Joe Biden are still asking about defunding the police, even though it's not a mainstream DNC position.
What!
That is literally -- was a talking point. It was literally -- it was -- people ran on that platform.
Until it became unpopular. Now, all of a sudden, it's, what? We didn't say that.
Who said that?
I mean, this is crazy. Or about critical race theory panic, even though it was revealed to be a bad faith Trojan horse, created by right-wing activists to incite racial panic and anxiety. Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! This is crazy.
Crazy. Okay. So let's now go into the facts. First of all, replacement theory is not a mainstream Republican theory, it's a racist theory. If you are afraid of another race taking over, by 2050, you might want to -- you might want to discuss that with some people. And I don't mean people that think like you. Maybe you should call us. And discuss it with us.
Because you're wrong. What matters is the country being taken over by people, who don't understand the Constitution, and the way America was set up.
That's the problem. Okay. Last spring, as the end of the academic year approached, at Susquehanna Valley High School, outside of Binghamton, New York, students were asked for a school project about their plans after graduation. The guy who was shooting the supermarket up over the weekend, said he wanted to commit a murder suicide.
He claimed to be joking, but the state police were summoned to investigate. They took him under custody under state mental health law. He had a psychiatric evaluation in the hospital, but was released in a couple of days. Two weeks later, he graduated. Fell off investigator's radar. He resurfaced over the weekend, 200 miles away in Buffalo, where authorities say, he opened fire at a supermarket in a predominantly black area, killing ten people. Wounding three others. In the deadliest, racist, massacre in the United States history.
You know, the one went that I guess -- that I guess -- I guess you could say is that social media is not paying attention and tracking everybody, nor is the FBI.
Now, if you're brought in, and you are threatening your students with murder/suicide. And you've published a 180-page manifesto. Make we should look at that. You know.
Hey, we have a tip on this guy. Oh, look at the manifesto. But apparently, that wasn't done. Even though, the state has red flag laws. Hmm.
Another if one law, that doesn't seem to do anything, because they don't enforce it.
So we read the manifesto. Or as much as we could read the manifesto. Because it's been taken off line. And that's both a good thing and a bad thing. It's a good thing. Because I don't want to spread the poison. It's a bad thing.
Because the media can lie about everything. And you won't know. So here's what we do have.
180-page manifesto was written. And they have been trying to blame Fox News and everything else.
It attacks the news networks, including Fox News. Why?
For hiring Jews.
Now, Pat, I know that's a Republican talking point. Can you tell me, if you had to put one -- well, let me do it in a positive way.
Which one of the two parties, would be the most likely, to support Jews and Israel?
PAT: Republicans.
GLENN: Republicans. Why do you know that?
PAT: Because it is the Republicans, who stand by Israel, every single time. It's the Republicans -- it was the Republican president, who moved the American embassy, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
GLENN: Uh-huh. Well, that was just a dog whistle.
PAT: Is that what that was?
GLENN: That was just a dog whistle. Others have tried to link the shooter to right-wing politics. Right-wing extremism.
But here's what the manifesto says. Quote, when I was 12, I was deep into communist ideology.
PAT: Huh.
GLENN: Talked to anyone from my old high school, and ask --
PAT: That sounds really Republican, doesn't it?
GLENN: Very. Well, it's a talking point. Talk to anyone from my old high school and ask about me, and you'll hear that. From the age 15 to 18, however, I consistently moved further to the right. On the political compass, I fall in the mild, moderate, authoritarian left category.
PAT: Huh. Left! Fascinating.
GLENN: Yeah. So he moved from the communist, just to the authoritarian category.
Okay. So he's authoritarian, left-wing. But he's a capitalist. Oh, no. He says, I'm not a conservative. Because conservatism is corporatism in disguise, and I want no part of that.
PAT: Oh, that sounds very Republican.
GLENN: Very Republican.
Well, it actually does sound like Mitch McConnell, except it's not because of corporatism. Conservatism is corporatism in disguise. And I want no part of it. Okay. So huh.
He's not a conservative. And he doesn't like corporatism. But he's authoritarian.
Sounds to me, like the guy doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. He says, let's see.
He also says, that he was inspired by the New Zealand shooter. Which, that guy was a conservative, wasn't? Wasn't he a conservative?
PAT: No. No, he wasn't.
GLENN: Oh, no. Gosh, how do we know? His manifesto. That's right. That's right.
By the way, he talks about -- now, why wouldn't we read a manifesto on the air?
PAT: You don't want to inspire anybody who is a little bit --
GLENN: Yeah. You don't want their dreams to come true, right?
PAT: Crazy. Yeah.
GLENN: Yeah. So he specifically says that there are New York strict gun laws, which is going to make it easier to carry out attacks. New Yorkers are limited to ten-round magazines. And the crazy gunman said, that means others tonight have enough bullets to -- if they're armed citizens, to actually fight back. Hmm.
He then goes on to say, his desired outcome from this rampage, would be more gun control laws. Huh!
PAT: Another really solidly Republican point.
GLENN: Right. And he says, more gun laws, because that would force white Americans to fight back, in order to regain their rights. Hmm.
PAT: Jeez.
GLENN: Huh. Heavily racist. Authoritarian left. And his goal was to get more gun laws. Wow!