Fox News’s Megyn Kelly began Thursday’s edition of The Kelly File by ripping into President Barack Obama and plans for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to regulate and enforce the diversity of neighborhoods (and particularly wealthy ones).
A few hours after the major broadcast networks ignored this story on their evening newscasts, Kelly made clear her disdain with the President and referred to him as “[t]he man who changed your health care system forever” that’s “now pushing to change your neighborhood” and especially “if Uncle Sam feels it is not inclusive enough.”
Citing the administration’s line that they’re simply creating “a plan to diversify neighborhoods and promote fair housing choice,” Kelly threw in with opponents who “say this is the most radical, politically explosive change President Obama has attempted in his six-plus years in office, calling it social engineering of the worst kind.”
In her introduction, Kelly further explained the plan by the federal government to use billions of dollars in grants to hold over the heads of local governments:
The feds now want to take billions in housing grant money and condition it on communities proving that they are sufficiently inclusive and diverse. They want to look around the area you live and decide if your town is diverse enough. If not, the feds will order low-income housing or else, much of your federal funding for your town will dry up. Experts say this is more than an attempt to change the way America's neighborhoods look. It may also be an attempt to change the way they vote.
Speaking with Thiessen, Kelly mentioned that “[t]his is being described as something that President Obama has had in the works for years, but has only now found the guts to actually put out there” as his presidency is set to end in almost a year and a half. Clearly not convinced, Kelly mocked the Obama administration’s plans:
They don't want, quote, “unequal neighborhoods.” Unequal neighborhoods. It – they think too many cities are too white, too privileged with too big McMansions, too big McMansions and they – they want to diverse the communities whether the communities want it or not.
Likening it to a housing version of affirmative action, Kelly and Thiessen predicted that HUD Secretary and possible 2016 Democratic vice presidential candidate Julian Castro and Hillary Clinton will argue that Republicans and those against these rules “are against communities of color” and “those folks who pursued white flight want it to stay that way and don't want people of color moving in next door to them and that’s racist and discriminatory.”
When Kelly spoke with Fowler (who argued for the changes), Kelly spoke of her own upbringing to drive home her argument against the forced diversity of neighborhoods:
I mean, I didn't grow up in a fancy neighborhood. I wanted to be in one, but we couldn't afford it and you know, then getting to an adult, I made more money and now I live in a nice neighborhood. It’s alright. It's a nice home. The neighborhood – anyway. The point is, that's the way it was usually done. It's not like, you must diversify because Uncle Sam feels it's too white or it's too rich.
The relevant portions of the transcript from FNC’s The Kelly File on June 11 are provided below.
FNC’s The Kelly File
June 11, 2015
9:00 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Breaking Tonight; Admin Pushes New Rule for Neighborhoods]
MEGYN KELLY: Breaking tonight. The man who changed your health care system forever is now pushing to change your neighborhood. That is if Uncle Sam feels it is not inclusive enough. Welcome to The Kelly File, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. The Obama administration calls it a plan to diversify neighborhoods and promote fair housing choice. Critics say this is the most radical, politically explosive change President Obama has attempted in his six-plus years in office, calling it social engineering of the worst kind. The feds now want to take billions in housing grant money and condition it on communities proving that they are sufficiently inclusive and diverse. They want to look around the area you live and decide if your town is diverse enough. If not, the feds will order low-income housing or else, much of your federal funding for your town will dry up. Experts say this is more than an attempt to change the way America's neighborhoods look. It may also be an attempt to change the way they vote.
(....)
KELLY: This is being described as something that President Obama has had in the works for years, but has only now found the guts to actually put out there as a Housing and Urban Development proposed final rule because his term is almost done and this is the time to do it. The last thing on the list? Change the neighborhoods.
(....)
KELLY: They don't want, quote, “unequal neighborhoods.” Unequal neighborhoods. It – they think too many cities are too white, too privileged with too big McMansions, too big McMansions and they – they want to diverse the communities whether the communities want it or not.
(....)
KELLY: And she’s [Hillary Clinton] going to say Republicans are against communities of color. She’s going to say the –
FNC CONTRIBUTOR MARC THIESSEN: That’s exactly what they’re going to try and say.
KELLY: – the white flight, those folks who pursued white flight want it to stay that way and don't want people of color moving in next door to them and that’s racist and discriminatory.
(....)
KELLY: I mean, I didn't grow up in a fancy neighborhood. I wanted to be in one, but we couldn't afford it and you know, then getting to an adult, I made more money and now I live in a nice neighborhood. It’s alright. It's a nice home. The neighborhood – anyway. The point is, that's the way it was usually done. It's not like, you must diversify because Uncle Sam feels it's too white or it's too rich.
