Kamala Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in 2024, and Fox News wasted no time showing its true racist colors in covering the Harris’ campaign. On July 24, Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade reached a new low when he seemingly made a race-based comment in a litany of Harris criticisms.
Moreover, what Kilmeade said only proves that the Republican, Fox News, and MAGA mentality hasn’t evolved much since the 1950s. After all, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) called Harris a “DEI hire” as vice president, suggesting Harris only got the job because of her skin color.
In the Fox & Friends segment about Harris’ first campaign rally, Kilmeade claimed “The problem with Kamala Harris” is that some Democrats don’t support her and that she had not yet been interviewed on topics like defunding ICE, and her stance on Medicare for All. Harris would also not attend Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, Kilmeade then pointed out, but she would “address a sorority,” instead.
The “colored” vs “college” debate
Kilmeade’s comment referred to Harris’ July 24 address to Zeta Phi Beta, a historically black sorority in Indiana, which occurred while Netanyahu was speaking in Washington. There was already some not-so-subtle sexism in Kilmeade’s suggestion that speaking to a room of young female voters wasn’t worth Harris’ time. But then, Kilmeade made things even worse by adding “a colored sorority,” using an outdated and offensive term with a clear note of disdain in his voice.
Some claim Kilmeade said “college” instead. “[Kilmeade was] completely misquoted and unnecessarily maligned,” Fox News Media told The Independent, “who clearly said college sorority.” An excuse parroted elsewhere by MAGAs on social media. On his radio show, Kilmeade added, “I’ve never used 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?”
Kilmeade’s co-host, Lawrence Jones III, meanwhile claimed Kilmeade said “college” in an X post. As for whether he did or didn’t say “colored,” we — along with many others — think the audio speaks for itself.
The online response
As alarming as Kilmeade’s comments were, the X response was pretty priceless in the “college vs. colored” controversy. “Trumpian Mantra: I didn’t say what I said,” one comment said. “‘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,” DNC chair Jaime Harrison said in part in a post on X.
Fox News already jumped on old Harris’ tweets supporting actor Jussie Smollett, convicted of lying to authorities about a hate crime. Harris later said she was “sad, frustrated and disappointed” that Smollett fabricated the attack, making it a non-story. All combined, it seems Fox News has not yet come to terms with Harris’ campaign momentum.