Michael Moore Claims Fox News and 'AM Hate Radio' Encouraged Violence Against Him
Appearing on Tuesday's NBC Today to promote his autobiography, left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore decried "the amount of hatred that was generated on a certain news channel and on AM hate radio" against him, insisting: "They daily encouraged people to essentially commit acts of violence against me." [Audio available here]
Moore leveled the charges in response to a question from fill-in co-host Savannah Guthrie about his 2003 Oscar acceptance speech that devolved into a rant against President Bush and the war in Iraq. He continued to defend those comments: "I said we're going to war for false reasons and there are not going to be any weapons of mass destruction....what I said was accurate and true, but it generated such an enormous amount of – to where they had to hire security for me and everything."
View video after the jump
Guthrie replied by wondering: "Do you still feel that threat, that danger?" Moore declared: "Yeah, it's not really a feeling, I think there are – in the book, I document a half a dozen assaults on me, including a very significant one that resulted in a prison term for an individual who was, you know, planning to blow up my house."
While Guthrie referred to Moore as "no stranger to controversy," she failed to actually challenge him on any of these assertions.
Here is a full transcript of the September 13 interview:
8:31AM ET TEASE:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Well, Michael Moore has turned the lens on himself for his latest project, he's written an autobiography and it really goes back to some of his early days, his formative years in his life. He's now, of course, the well-known filmmaker and he's certainly drawn controversy over the years, in particular for a speech he made at the Oscars back in 2003. So how does he feel about that speech now? We're going to ask him when he joins us in a few minutes in our studio.
8:34AM ET TEASE:
MATT LAUER: Controversial filmmaker and author Michael Moore live in our studio. We'll talk to him.
8:36AM ET SEGMENT:
GUTHRIE: Back now at 8:36 with a man who is no stranger to controversy. Michael Moore is an Oscar-winning director and New York Times best-selling author. He's tackled everything from health care in 'Sicko,' to homeland security in the film 'Fahrenheit 9/11.' And now he's getting personal with his autobiography, 'Here Comes Trouble: Stories From My Life.' And here comes trouble, Michael Moore, good morning, it's good to see you.
MICHAEL MOORE: Good morning. Thank you for having me.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: "Here Comes Trouble"; Michael Moore's Memorable Moments]
GUTHRIE: Well, let's talk about this book, and actually, you take on a topic that was something of controversy back when you gave, in 2003, an Oscar acceptance speech. And at that time, I don't have to remind you, you said that the President was a fictional president who had brought us to war for fictitious reasons. And in your book, you seem to come very close to offering regret for saying that.
MOORE: None at all, actually. The – if I have any regret, it's the – it's what it put me and my family through as a result of the amount of hatred that was generated on a certain news channel and on AM hate radio. And they – they daily encouraged people to essentially commit acts of violence against me. It was – I mean, Glenn Beck famously said that he was thinking of killing me live on the air. And so-
GUTHRIE: So when you say you weren't sure you'd do it over again, it wasn't because of the sentiment of what you had expressed, just the consequences of it?
MOORE: Oh, no, no, no. Yeah, because it's the fifth day of the war and I said we're going to war for false reasons and there are not going to be any weapons of mass destruction, and I was booed off the stage for saying that. But obviously, I mean, as years went on people realized that, you know, what I said was accurate and true, but it generated such an enormous amount of – to where they had to hire security for me and everything.
GUTHRIE: Yeah, and you still use that security to this day. I mean, do you still feel that threat, that danger?
MOORE: Yeah, it's not really a feeling, I think there are – in the book, I document a half a dozen assaults on me, including a very significant one that resulted in a prison term for an individual who was, you know, planning to blow up my house. So, I mean, it just – I didn't understand. You know, I make documentary films, you don't really think that that's the result of, you know, it's – it was just a little bit, you know, difficult.
GUTHRIE: Let's talk about the book, because primarily it's actually you're younger years that you talk about in these vignettes from your childhood. And you say that you were a good student and the nuns loved you. What happened?
[LAUGHTER]
MOORE: I turned out just the way they wanted me to.
GUTHRIE: You actually tell a great story when you were younger and you gave a speech to an Elks Club that you knew excluded African-Americans and the speech competition was to talk about Abraham Lincoln and you kind of turned that concept in a different direction.
MOORE: Yeah, the Elks Club up until 1971 had a policy, on their application it said 'Caucasians only.' And many private clubs in America had those in the 1970s, because you could still discriminate in private clubs. So I was 17 years old and I saw that they were sponsoring a contest on the life of a guy who freed the slaves and I thought, 'Geez, this is a little ironic.' So I gave a speech attacking them at this Boys State convention, and the next day I was getting a call from Walter Cronkite's producer, who wanted me to come on. And it created a whole ruckus nationwide about why in the 1970s can you still have whites-only clubs in America? And a year or so later that was the end of that.
GUTHRIE: An early Michael Moore moment. There was another moment you describe being in Washington, walking around the capital as a young boy, getting lost and running then into someone we all would recognize.
MOORE: Yes, I got separated from my parents and my sisters and my cousin and I was completely lost, I was 11 years old. I wandered into an elevator and there was a man in the elevator, and I started, I'm crying because I think I'm completely – I'll never see them again or whatever and he's reading a newspaper and puts the paper down and it's Bobby Kennedy, and he sees me standing there all forlorn and asked me what was wrong, and then he took me to help me find my parents and waited with me. And I had this incredible conversation with him at 11 years old, that I, you know, describe.
GUTHRIE: Well, it's an interesting read. You have lots of stories from your childhood. Michael Moore, always good to talk to you. Thank you so much.
MOORE: Oh thank you, thank you so much.
GUTHRIE: And the book is, to remind everyone, 'Here Comes Trouble.'
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Comments
Yeah, and when I got lost one
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:24pm.
Yeah, and when I got lost one time - at an outdoor bazaar in Greece, when I was about 5 or 6 - Helen of Troy found me and helped take me back to my Mommy. True story!!!
Hey Mike - I don't think people need to be encouraged to not like you...............you do a good enough job on your own!!!
One more thing, Moore-on - you don't just 'make documentaries'..............I believe a 'documentary' is a truthful account of a topic or subject. Your useless wastes of film are called 'opinion videos'...........
He is implying somebody cares enough
Submitted by nonncom on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 4:12pm.
.....LOL....who would waste their time doing violence on that fat turd....
Poor Mike. He has constantly
Submitted by kg on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 4:54pm.
Poor Mike. He has constantly been the victim of right wing violence. As a matter of fact he has been in the hospital numerous times. The last time was.....oh, never mind.
"DumbAssity of Dope"
Hypocrite. What about his threat to Bill Hemmer?
Submitted by drsamherman on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:24pm.
Or in his case, is that Hippo-crite?
Another liberal bipolar moment....he cries about being a victim while he threatens to have his family track down a reporter.
Why anyone gives him credence for anything but his ever-expanding waistline and ever-receding IQ defies explanation.
His biggest threat ...
Submitted by Apodictic on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:23pm.
is a 2,000 calorie per day diet.
That's just his
Submitted by Bodini on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:35pm.
bed-time snack!
Oh, I'm sorry but you're wrong
Submitted by tincan53 on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 4:11pm.
He's not either on a 2000 calorie per day diet, he's on a 2000 calorie per HOUR diet. Nothing but Twinkies!
Where is the proof
Submitted by grammajane on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:27pm.
that Glen Beck wanted him killed?
It sounds to me like he is guilty of encouraging violence...
Submitted by jawebster1 on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:52pm.
against George W. Bush, so once again another liberal is "projecting".
I listen to AM talk radio everyday and I don't remember him ever being the topic of conversation except when he crosses the line and says something so outrageous that he is picked up by Drudge and then by necessity he is talked about on talk radio, if ever so briefly.
Mostly he is held up as a figure of ridicule, which explains why he is "lashing" out at Fox News and talk radio. The poor baby's feeling were hurt.
He does look
Submitted by Bodini on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:38pm.
like he's been shot in the face with a whaler's harpoon a few times! Probably not an intentional act of violence, but more a case of mistaken identity.
Wait is MM a union? Cause unions are proven to be violent..
Submitted by FreeEnterprise on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:39pm.
Guys, pass this on to everyone that you read that is putting out violent rhetoric...
The truth the liberals DON'T want you to see...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5zFdG8E6YQ
union goons, attacking, destroying, and HOLDING HOSTAGES... But, don't worry, ZERO arrests, and their union president was the guest of honor at Obama's "union payback" speech the same day this happened!
Moore doesn't realize...
Submitted by KyWriter on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:39pm.
...that his very existence offends most living creatures. I suspect the only reason dogs do not attack him is because of the repulsiveness of what they would have to bite into.
MOORE: I was lost and asked a cop to help me find my parents
Submitted by SickofLibs on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:48pm.
"Do you think we'll find them?" the tearful little chubster asked.
COP: "I don't know - there's so many places they could hide."
(H/T Rodney The Great.)
MOORE: My bath toys were a toaster and a radio.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:50pm.
(H/T Rodney The Great.)
More Rodney
Submitted by HockeyKid on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 2:01pm.
"My first day of school, my parents pinned the neighbor's address to my sleeve."
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
We should probably report the
Submitted by celator on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:51pm.
We should probably report the title of his autobiography: "How I Became Rich By Lying About Everything".
And that is the way he looks
Submitted by d1carter on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:53pm.
And that is the way he looks after makeup...
Meanwhile, in a related story:
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:55pm.
Oversize Man Sues White Castle Over Seats
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Lib Translator
Submitted by HockeyKid on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 1:57pm.
Moore says, "They daily encouraged people to essentially commit acts of violence against me."
Actually means, "They daily told their listeners what I actually said."
See, that little "essentially" in there gives the lib mind the freedom to equate anything with any other thing, regardless of their actual relationship. Thus, a lib can say, "The moon is essentially green cheese," and believe himself to be completely honest. When pressed, he'll defend himself with the (in a lib mind) ironclad defense, "I did NOT say, 'The moon is made of green cheese'."
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
By violence.....
Submitted by notinstl on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 2:00pm.
....did someone suggest he be kept away from food sources?
My early MM moment...
Submitted by hern2430 on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 2:03pm.
happens every morning right before I flush.
So what does Moore think
Submitted by rbosque on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 2:08pm.
So what does Moore think Saddam used against the Kurds in northern Iraq, laughing gas?
Fat ass liberal moron alert.;
Submitted by jessieH on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 2:08pm.
Fat ass liberal moron alert.;
"Go ahead, make my day"
Submitted by deadeyedan on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 2:13pm.
Clint Eastwood once said that if Fatso showed up with a camera in front of him, he might ask him, "Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?" Or something to that effect!
LIBERALISM - GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE BY THE THEORIES AND FOR THE IDEOLOGISTS
Michael Moore -- lied in his
Submitted by Beukeboom on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 2:13pm.
Michael Moore -- lied in his "documentaries" (and I use that term EXTREMELY loosely) and he's lying now.
Well, Moore certainly lied . . but
Submitted by Gary Hall on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 3:10pm.
. . I wouldn't call them documentaries.
(;~> gary
Glenn Beck - am radio example
Submitted by alvin on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 2:14pm.
GLENN BECK: “I’m thinking about killing Michael Moore and I’m wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out of him. Is this wrong?”
http://www.blippitt.com/glenn-beck-threatens-to-kill-michael-moore-video/
edited video
Submitted by TerryWest on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 3:48pm.
Your post should be removed due to its fraudulent intent, you place a video link as your proof that is edited to censor Glenn's entire commentary and meaning, which wasn't to be taken literally, such hipocrisy!.
Please palce the entire video /content re Glenn's commentary or state that it is heavily edited.
With games of deception like this video ( from Glenn in 2005) one has to wonder if Mr Moore's paranoia isnt really the result of his own party's efforts to mislead and manufacture histeria & hate rather then what is reality.
That was in 2005, shall we jump forward to 2011 with Palin, Hannity and Glenn targets in a violent video game, should they get extra security ?
A pathetic liberal
Submitted by Bob K on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 3:30pm.
who is "satire challanged" Who'da thunk it? Now why don't you link to a unedited video?
Violence against Michael Moredonuts?
Submitted by MOTUS on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 2:21pm.
As far as I can see, the only violence done against Michael Moregravy was self-inflicted and committed at McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts...
This guy needs to go back to
Submitted by Rusty Shackleford on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 2:31pm.
This guy needs to go back to 2004 when he was relevant. The guy's a joke and even most of his old supporters see him for the whining hypocrite that he is.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Matthews: The Joy Behar of MSNBC.
Bill Maher: The Joy Behar of HBO.
Paul Krugman: The Joy Behar of The New York Times.
yo who is this fraud
Submitted by D'saredumbpeople on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 2:52pm.
who ever heard of him.........
in denial re significance
Submitted by TerryWest on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 4:00pm.
Actually Mr Moore the only time I've heard your name mentioned on either Am radio or Fox is when you release a statement and want to be heard.
Your not in my thoughts before that time or 2 minutes after your statement is read / heard.
I think the real issue is you've become insignificant and disillusioned re your socialist utopia and need to see hate and yourself as a victim in a desperate move to remain significant.
Apparently being reduced to Twitter isnt filling the void.
Perhaps you should have your security team check out the source of that hate you feel is surrounding you Mr Moore, it could be your own former followers angry over being deceived and cheerleaded by you into supporting Obama.
To all authorized journalists I ask you
Submitted by Ashrak on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 3:00pm.
Why do you not ask Michael Moore why bases, which bin laden claimed as a source of his declared war against us, were in Saudi Arabia to begin with?
Why do you not ask Michael Moore about Bin Ladens' claims of the hardships placed upon the Iraqi people by Clinton's policy of "containment" and the U.N.s rapacious Oil For Food program -
or how Bush ended all of it?
Could the answer be because you sure are authorized, but that you aren't journalists to start with?
Indeed.
I've never heard anyone on AM talk radio encourage violence...
Submitted by Flig Narson on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 3:14pm.
...against Michael Moore. I, on the other hand, would be pleased to encourage violence against this fat, nasty, lying pus-bag. But I have no listeners, and no following, so I guess it's mostly just wishful thinking.
I've heard left-wing talkers like the execrable Mike Malloy encourage violence against Rush Limbaugh, and wish Vice President Cheney a painful death.
Mike Malloy is clinically insane.
Submitted by Tailgunner on Wed, 09/14/2011 - 7:22am.
x
CANDIDATE Obama: 'Yes, we CAN'.
PRESIDENT Obama: 'BECAUSE we CAN'.
If that
Submitted by Bob K on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 3:27pm.
were true, his fat ass would already be in a piano case, 6 feet under.
Bob
Submitted by ricklail on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 4:17pm.
I think he is doing a good job of killing himself with that 30,000 calorie a day diet.
Plain and simple
Submitted by RD King on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 3:45pm.
big fat sorry m moore is a no good con man and any thing bad brought his way is on his own head for being an anti-American sob like the obamster and ilk.
Just a pathetic little
Submitted by Snappy on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 4:04pm.
Just a pathetic little (figuratively) man, trying to stay relevant.
Lets see
Submitted by John21 on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 4:13pm.
You are stupid, obnoxious, egotistical elitist snob, you are arrogant, foolish and a clown, who wouldn’t to commit violence on you, hell I am not in the same state and I wouldn’t mind at all. The insult of “Scum” when used on you is a serious insult to scum worldwide.
You spent your whole life being a bu**head and wonder why no one but the far left brain-dead bu**heads like you? Your answer is to blame news and radio. Every time you open you liberal elitist fat mouth you confirm what a fool you are.
Jack A**
spot on John21*
Submitted by cajun2 on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 4:31pm.
Typical hypocrisy from the left. Here is a guy spewing hate for America for decades using the media, film, and radio long before anyone ever heard of Glenn Beck but he blames all the vitriol on Fox News and radio.
Here is a guy who praises deadly dictators, spews hatred for his own countrymen by calling them scum but calls patriotic Americans as prone to violence.
Mr. Moore, it is lying lefty elitist hypocrites like you and others whose agenda is to incite.
All that & a bag of chips
Submitted by TerryWest on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 4:53pm.
I feel horrible changing the subject from Mr Moore here :)
but it could relate and I'd like NewsBuster bloggers input.
In your opinion is the first lady Michelle Obama saying here at a 9 - 11 American flag folding ceremony " all that for a flag?" ( her eyes roll) or words to that effect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W5xDBxE_0w&feature=youtu.be
Not a lip reader myself...
Submitted by NevadanConservative on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 5:11pm.
...but damn sure she said something on the order of "All this to fold a flag?"
Miserable sow.
Worst part is that the same flag will drape both her and BHO's coffin when they pass on.. assuming that there is a USA left after their shenanigans.
Wonder if the White House engineering staff has had to order special fireproof flags and presidential colors , to keep them from bursting into flames when BHO touches them?
NVCon
Moore has got far greater
Submitted by jdhawk on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 5:31pm.
Moore has got far greater problems than "encouraged violence against him."
I understand that Jabba the Hut is suing him for identity theft!
Hmm...
Submitted by retrocon on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 6:00pm.
Not sure, but i see articles all over Drudge right now that stink of M. Moore...
"Overweight man sues White Castle over seat sizes"
"Man accused of eating raw meat from shelves at Walmart"
"Man breaks into fast food restaurant, cooks himself meal"
"Eel removed from mans bladder after entering through penis"
oh, wait... how big was the eel?
The violence against Verizon in NJ
Submitted by TheHistorian on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 7:04pm.
The violence against Verizon in NJ was also caused by conservatives. Makes as much sense as this cr*p magnet's statement.
Dennis Prager
You lie!
Submitted by wizardjr on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 8:01pm.
So the 500 metric tons of uranium was for what exactly then Jabba? And then there were the artillary shells with traces of poison gas still on them, etc., etc.
This is just fat ass seeking face time because nobody's paying any attention any more. Ooooo, poor baby. Go eat a cow two and you'll feel better.
Michael Moore's trials and tribulations
Submitted by paulejb on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 8:17pm.
What happened, Michael? Did a mob of Tea Partiers hold you down and force you to eat a 1000 cheeseburgers?
Moore your liberal friends
Submitted by jkwtrading on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 9:25pm.
Moore your liberal friends won't help you if you are attacked, They have no guts. you will cry and not even be heard.
Look in the mirror you fat fvck...
Submitted by Bill Brasky on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 9:42pm.
It is YOUR words fat ass, not anything that was said by Fox News or talk radio hosts that makes me want to punch your ugly face in. If you get the crap beaten out of you, you only have yourself to blame. You're an ignorant, anti-American piece of garbage. We'll be having a party over here when you drop dead with a freakin' Twinkie stuck in your throat.
Really Now
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Wed, 09/14/2011 - 2:13am.
Michael Moore makes people want to hurt Michael Moore. He runs his mouth off and doesn't expect anyone to take exception to his extreme B.S.? The First Amendment doesn't protect you from your free speech.
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html
HA! Blorto, google "Wish Cheney would die"
Submitted by Now_I_Want_Change on Wed, 09/14/2011 - 9:06am.
You want to get a feel for violence? See what kind of sick writings are out there from both bloggers and 'Main' stream elements wishing and proposing for ways to end Cheney's life. You got nothing to complain about, you mouthy, hating, disgusting un-documentarian! Don't you dare blame your psychotic feelings of persecution on those who are your betters!
Rant ends.......