In the wake of the sexual abuse controversy surrounding the Duggar family, CNN Tonight host Don Lemon brought on CNN political commentators Marc Lamont Hill and Ben Ferguson to discuss the family’s previous connections to the Republican Party. While Hill and Ferguson agreed that the GOP has kept their distance from the Duggars since the scandal, things got heated when Ferguson said that the family should be held to a higher standard.
Hill shouted, “but that’s what you all do, Ben...it’s what GOPers do all the time. They say gay people are going to hell, and then they start tapping under the bathroom stall.” Hill explained his point in more detail:
What I’m saying is that many of the same people who shame gay people oftentimes you look and they themselves are gay. Many people who talk about people who operate outside of their marriage – they cheat on their spouses. Oftentimes we see this. This is not unusual. All I’m saying is that this isn't an isolated case.
Ferguson hotly challenged Hill’s point by asking Hill to name “one prominent GOP individual that has said that gay people are going to hell. I would love for you to give me one legitimate candidate for any office who has said that.” Hill could not provide any examples, so Lemon jumped into the conversation to give his two cents, stating his belief on how Republicans usually argue these issues: “I love the sinner, not the sin. I don’t support them. I wouldn't go to a marriage. I mean, Rick Santorum got into the race today and he said the same thing.”
Ferguson attempted to explain his reasoning again, by arguing that “I can disagree with a lifestyle, I can disagree on gay marriage, that doesn't mean I think that someone is going to hell.” However, Hill was unwilling to budge from his position at all: “Right, you just think they're sinners and what they're doing is abomination to God.”
Clearly, Marc Lamont Hill’s vision of the GOP is a long way from reality.
The relevant portion of the transcript is below.
CNN
CNN Tonight
May 27, 2015
10:43 p.m. EasternDON LEMON, host: So the Duggar’s reality TV stardom also made them stars with conservative Republicans. In the wake of the scandal, is that all over now? Ben Ferguson, CNN political commentator is here and host of the Ben Ferguson Show, of course. And Marc Lamont Hill CNN political commentator and host of the Marc Lamont Hill Show in his own head. So, let see about this. So Ben, why do you think conservatives love the Duggars so much?
BEN FERGUSON, CNN political commentator: I think they loved him beforehand. I think that most of them loved them because they were this family that was part of the evangelical Christian community, the home schooling community. And they want to reach out to that demographic as a voting block because it’s a very important voting block in the GOP primaries. I don’t have a problem with anybody that’s sitting next to them before all this came out, but I was totally shocked by Mike Huckabee’s comments still standing by them when the reality is you had a family that cared more a protecting the brand of this family and being a total fraud than they did about the welfare of children that were abused by one of their own and covering it up. And so, at this point, anyone who stands with them I think would be irresponsible. It sends the wrong message that hey, if you’re a pastor you can somehow be the law to your own family if someone is sexually abused. That’s not how it works.
LEMON: Is that love affair over, Marc?
MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN political commentator: You said, is that what?
LEMON: Is the love affair over?
HILL: Oh, the love affair with the GOP is completely over. Mike Huckabee had to step up. And
Mike Huckabee was somebody who they wanted to run for office and so, as soon as he popped up on the campaign trail, they endorsed him. So he had to respond because of that. Everyone else is running from them right now, as they should, there’s nothing else you can do. Ben is being a bit too hard on them, though, I think. Yes what they did was awful, what he did was awful. There should be punishment, there should be justice, there should be all of those things. But I also understand that many families live in denial about sexual assault and sexual abuse, not just famous families but regular families. So I think what they did was awful, but I’m not sure what they were doing was evil.
FERGUSON: But see, here's my thing. I hold them to a higher standard for the fact that they held themselves to a higher standard. They were the ones that talked about incest should be punishable by you being dead afterwards. You have a man that’s a pastor. They put themselves in a moral place to be a light to others and yet in reality, in their own world, they were covering it up to keep the brand alive. So that’s why I’m so hard on them, is because –
HILL: But that’s what you all do, Ben!
FERGUSON: No, it’s not what they do.
HILL: No, It’s what GOPers do all the time! They say gay people are going to hell, and then they start tapping under the bathroom stall.
LEMON: Ben, let Marc make his point, then you can respond.
FERGUSON: First of all, I’ve never said –
LEMON: Ben, let him make his point, then you can respond. Go ahead Marc.
HILL: All I’m saying is that this is classic GOP playbook. You know, you say gay people are going to hell many of the same people –
FERGUSON: No we don’t.
HILL: You’re saying no Republicans say gay people are going to hell?
FERGUSON: I’ve never said gay people are going to hell, Marc. You know that.
HILL: Not you, Ben. I said Republicans. There’s more than one Republican in the world, unfortunately.
FERGUSON: I agree, and most of them don’t say that.
HILL: But let me make my point before you disagree with my point. What I’m saying is that many of the same people who shame gay people often times you look and they themselves are gay. Many people who talk about people who operate outside of their marriage – they cheat on their spouses. Oftentimes we see this. This is not unusual. All I’m saying is that this isn't an isolated case.
LEMON: That happens with Democrats, as well, though.
HILL: No doubt, but not on this issue. You don’t see Democrats going around saying gay people are going to hell. Gay people – I mean, Democrats are hypocrites on all kinds of stuff.
FERGUSON: Marc, name one prominent GOP individual that has said that gay people are going to hell. I would love for you to give me one legitimate candidate for any office who has said that? It doesn't exist. You're stereotyping something that does not in fact exist. The majority of Republicans have never said that gay people are going to hell.
LEMON: I love the sinner, not the sin. I don’t support them. I wouldn't go to a marriage. I mean, Rick Santorum got into the race today and he said the same thing.
HILL: Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, I mean there are many people who say –
FERGUSON: Did he say that gay people were going hell, though? This is part of this narrative that I'm not going to sit here and act like it's somehow even remotely close to being true. It’s not true.
HILL: So what’s the argument?
FERGUSON: I can disagree with a lifestyle, I can disagree on gay marriage, that doesn't mean I think that someone is going to hell.
HILL: Right, you just think they're sinners and what they're doing is abomination to God.
FERGUSON: There’s a lot of sins that we talk about, Marc.
