Following the vicious assault against journalist Andy Ngo in Portland, Oregon over the weekend at the hands of Antifa, conservatives nationwide demanded that the federal government and the Justice Department formally declare the radical, left-wing group a domestic terror organization.
Well, during Wednesday’s Tucker Carlson Tonight, former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik lent his voice to the chorus.
Brian Kilmeade filled in and began by reminding viewers of the fact that Antifa was “encouraged and rewarded by the elite class,” recalling that “Chris Cuomo of CNN compared them to D-Day soldiers. Don Lemon loved them.”
After being asked if it’s “time to classify Antifa as a terror group,” Kerik busted out the dictionary definition of terrorist:
Well, listen. First of all, this is an extremely violent group that goes out and threatens, intimidates, attacks with extreme violence for political reasons. If you look up terrorism, the definition of terrorism, that's what terrorism is. When somebody threats, imposes threats and violence against someone else for political reasons.
“I’ve said this in the past and some people would disagree, I think they should be designated as a terror group, a domestic terror group,” he said.
His reasoning was that “the locals, the local state, police entities out there” were just on doing the job that needed to be done. He then blasted the Portland Police for not doing their jobs to protect the people:
KERIK: I watched this demonstration in Portland. I was appalled that the police wasn't more active, preemptive, proactive. Some of the beat downs this young journalist that was beaten, severely beaten, not just beaten, not just smacked around, severely beaten with substantial injuries. And this stuff is growing, it's in Portland, it’s in California, it's in –
KILMEADE: Oh yeah, Seattle.
“A number of these states where you have Democratic leadership and Democratic mayors,” he rightly added.
Kerik also noticed that there was little outrage from certain groups when the ones being targeted by Antifa were right-leaning. “Well, it's only anti-journalists when it's -- that's okay when they're conservative. If they're conservatives, then it seems like no holds are barred. They get to do what they want,” he decried.
That point was followed up with more condemnation of other police forces that let Antifa roam freely:
I think it's got to stop. I think these police departments, they know when they're coming out. They know when the demonstrations are going to be. They have a basic idea of how many people are going to be there. And I can tell you, under Rudy Giuliani, back when I was police commissioner, this would be absolutely all hands on deck to make sure this didn't happen.
It really shouldn’t be hard for Antifa to be classified as a terrorist group. According to a Politico article form 2017, the FBI and Homeland Security already regarded Antifa’s activities as “domestic terrorist violence”.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson Tonight
July 3, 2019
8:41:51 p.m. EasternBRIAN KILMEADE: All right, during the war on terror, remember this? President Bush liked to say that Al-Qaida hates us for our freedom. Today, there's another group like that called Antifa. Every single day in America streets, at our universities, and online, Antifa uses intimidation, threats, and outright violence to target freedom of speech, freedom assembly, and freedom of thought here in this country. They are, in short, a terrorist group. But one that is encouraged and rewarded by the elite class, so to speak. Twitter and Facebook, they ban Alex Jones and others but they let Antifa organize and harass with impunity. Why is that? Chris Cuomo of CNN compared them to D-Day soldiers. Don Lemon loved them.
(…)
KILMEADE: “No group is perfect.” I would say, that is pretty much an understatement. Is it time to classify Antifa as a terror group? Bernie Kerik is a former New York City police commissioner, helped put together an anti-terror task force. Commissioner, how do you label this group?
BERNARD KERIK: Well, listen. First of all, this is an extremely violent group that goes out and threatens, intimidates, attacks with extreme violence for political reasons. If you look up terrorism, the definition of terrorism, that's what terrorism is. When somebody threats, imposes threats and violence against someone else for political reasons.
I think, I’ve said this in the past and some people would disagree, I think they should be designated as a terror group, a domestic terror group. Just like the Black Liberation Army and the Black Panther Party and the Weather Underground and the Sam Neville Jackson Unit back in the 70s and 80s, 60s. Just like they were.
And I think that's how you'll have to deal with them because the locals, the local state, police entities out there now are not doing that.
I watched this demonstration in Portland. I was appalled that the police wasn't more active, preemptive, proactive. Some of the beat downs this young journalist that was beaten, severely beaten, not just beaten, not just smacked around, severely beaten with substantial injuries. And this stuff is growing, it's in Portland, it’s in California, it's in –
KILMEADE: Oh yeah, Seattle.
KERIK: A number of these states where you have Democratic leadership and Democratic mayors.
KILMEADE: Commissioner, also, they started in the 70s, I understand, anti-fascists. They want to push back against any white supremacist organization. Now they've now morphed into anti-Trump and anti-conservative. That was a journalist. I thought we were worried about journalists and the health. We want to condemn Donald Trump for rhetoric. What about the fists?
KERIK: Well, it's only anti-journalists when it's -- that's okay when they're conservative. If they're conservatives, then it seems like no holds are barred. They get to do what they want. I think it's got to stop. I think these police departments, they know when they're coming out. They know when the demonstrations are going to be. They have a basic idea of how many people are going to be there.
And I can tell you, under Rudy Giuliani, back when I was police commissioner, this would be absolutely all hands on deck to make sure this didn't happen.
KILMEADE: And your whole police force would have known what to look for, how they assemble, and how to stop it. And they would have drilled and practiced. And now the mayor’s under fire and so is the police force, invisible.
Final thought on this, commissioner. You know, you're worried about these guys assembling. Social media has to clamp down. What are they waiting for?
KERIK: You know what Brian? I don't know. They knock people off the air, off of social media, these conservatives just for a comment. I watch these beat downs, dozens of different videos on different anti-conservative sites over the last four or five days. Just outrageous. I don't know what to do.
KILMEADE: You have to be ready to stand up for yourself and I'm glad this journalist, whose brain is bleeding, still wanted to do media. To know he was not threatening. He was covering a protest, and he got beat to a pulp.
