Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh made a rare TV appearance on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace to discuss a variety of topics including the state of race relations in America following two grand jury decisions in Ferguson, Missouri and Staten Island in which police were not indicted following the deaths of two African American men.
Speaking to Wallace on the “hands up don’t shoot” protests in the wake of the Ferguson decision, Limbaugh argued that “what most of the media is describing did not happen in Ferguson, Missouri. There was no hands up, don't shoot. It didn't happen. And that's tearing this country apart. We have people to whom the truth is relative.”
The segment began with the Fox News host asking Limbaugh about the protests across the country and whether “those demonstrators have a legitimate beef with police and prosecutors?”
For his part, the conservative radio host maintained that “there is a grievance politics in this country that's tearing the country apart, Chris. I think what happened in the grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, and what happened here in Staten Island does not warrant this because the grand jury rendered a correct verdict in Ferguson.”
As the segment continued, Limbaugh harshly condemned those who think race relations are no better in America than 200 years ago:
I don't think that things are rosy and perfect in America, but to say that they're no better, as the mayor of New York said, that's absurd. We've made all kinds of efforts to improve race relations in this country. The 1964 Civil Rights Act, affirmative action, we have bent over backwards. Is it all perfect? No it's not. But there's no acknowledgment of any of the progress.
Rather than hold back, Limbaugh concluded his remarks by going after liberals and members of the media for spreading lies about Ferguson to push their political agenda:
And I think for the president to promote this division as he just did in that clip that you said, and mischaracterize what happened here -- he's talking in large part about Ferguson and what he described did not happen in Ferguson, and what most of the media is describing did not happen in Ferguson, Missouri. There was no hands up, don't shoot. It didn't happen. And that's tearing this country apart.
We have people to whom the truth is relative. And they're using whatever power they have to try to redefine the truth for the advancement of their own political agenda. And it's just not productive. And the president taking sides in this in a way that further divides the country I find reprehensible and very unfortunate too.
See relevant transcript below.
Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace
December 7, 2014
CHRIS WALLACE: But first, love him or hate him, he's the king of conservative talk radio. 20 million people listen to him each week on close to 600 stations across the country. Rush Limbaugh joins us now from his EIB studios Florida. Welcome back to Fox News Sunday.
RUSH LIMBAUGH: I think it's been since 2009 I was here so it's great to be back, Chris. Thank you for having me.
WALLACE: Well, we're delighted to have you. Let's start with the protests across the country in the wake of the grand jury decisions not to indict those police officers. Do you think that those demonstrators have a legitimate beef with police and prosecutors?
LIMBAUGH: I think that there is a grievance politics in this country that's tearing the country apart, Chris. I think what happened in the grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, and what happened here in Staten Island does not warrant this because the grand jury rendered a correct verdict in Ferguson. New York is a little bit different, but this would have a happened I think no matter what the grand jury in Ferguson said. I think the real thing to note here is that this is tearing the country apart, it is literally ripping our fabric apart. And the president of the United States, one thing about him, he's a great orator. You put the right words on the teleprompter and this man can deliver soaring, inspiring rhetoric.
I ask you to remember his 2008 campaign in front of the styrofoam columns at Denver during the convention speech. If he wants to, he can inspire. And I think it's called for in this situation. This is not good for the country, what's happening here, because it isn't I don't think full-fledged legitimate. It's not based on real-world grievance. It's grievance that's being amplified and made up. And the president, if you ask me, could do a lot to stop this by telling people to respect the criminal justice system. There's nothing here that's designed as they would have you believe to purposely get it wrong, to purposely screw people. It's not the case. And presidents are supposed to be uplifting, they’re supposed to be inspiring.
WALLACE: Rush, let me pick up on that because we have some sound both from President Obama and from New York City mayor De Blasio describing the situation. Here they are.
BARACK OBAMA: This is an American problem. When anybody in this country is not being treated equally under the law, that's a problem. And it's my job as president to help solve it.
BILL DE BLASIO: Our police are here to protect us, and we honor that. At the same time, there's a history we have to overcome because with so many of our young people there's a fear, and for so many of our families there's a fear.
WALLACE: I want you to react to that, Rush. But I want to put into that and one of the things that critics and some of the demonstrators cite is, for instance, that black drivers who are stopped at -- for a traffic stop are three times likely to be searched as white drivers. So what do you think of them as this perception of unfairness in the criminal justice system?
LIMBAUGH: I don't think that things are rosy and perfect in America, but to say that they're no better, as the mayor of New York said, that's absurd. We've made all kinds of efforts to improve race relations in this country. The 1964 Civil Rights Act, affirmative action, we have bent over backwards. Is it all perfect? No it's not. But there's no acknowledgment of any of the progress, Chris. If you listen to these people, the president, the mayor of new York, you would think it's 200 years ago. You would think we haven't even started working on these problems, and that's not true.
And I think for the president to promote this division as he just did in that clip that you said, and mischaracterize what happened here -- he's talking in large part about Ferguson and what he described did not happen in Ferguson, and what most of the media is describing did not happen in Ferguson, Missouri. There was no hands up, don't shoot. It didn't happen. And that's tearing this country apart. We have people to whom the truth is relative. And they're using whatever power they have to try to redefine the truth for the advancement of their own political agenda. And it's just not productive. And the president taking sides in this in a way that further divides the country I find reprehensible and very unfortunate too.
