On Monday's The Nightly Show on Comedy Central, host Larry Wilmore used clips of GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina from Fox News Sunday to deceive viewers into believing she referred to the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood attacker as merely a "messenger" and a "protester."
Similarly, last June in the aftermath of the Charleston church massacre, Wilmore tried to deceive viewers into believing FNC hosts and GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum had been clinging to the possibility that the shootings were motivated by religion instead of race by selecting soundbites from early on before the motives had been announced publicly. Soundbites of Santorum were even rearranged to bolster the left-wing comedian's case.
In the opening tease on Monday's show, Wilmore took aim at Fiorina as he declared:
Carly Fiorina refers to a Planned Parenthood shooter in Colorado as, quote, a "protester." That's almost as crazy as calling Carly Fiorina, quote, "a viable candidate for President."
A bit later, after opening the show by charging that Fox News had been peddling "Kool-Aid" to viewers and stoking up hostility to Planned Parenthood, he turned his attention to Fiorina as he continued:
And there is one person who has clearly gone from drinking Kool-Aid to getting it intravenously. The mistress of brain-harvesting Kool-Aid herself, Carly Fiorina. Check out how she blamed the left.
Then played a clip of Fiorina:
This is so typical of the left, to immediately begin demonizing a messenger because they don't agree with the message.
An allegedly appalled Wilmore was then shown jumping to the conclusion that she was referring to the gunman as a "messenger." Wilmore:
Hold on a second. The messenger is a murderer, and his message is murder. Who agrees with that message? There's no demonizing a demon. He's already a demon. That's his job -- demon-ing.
The full context of the clip makes it obvious that the GOP presidential candidate was answering a question about pro-life activists, including herself, who have spoken out publicly against Planned Parenthood, when she used the word "messenger." From the November 29 Fox News Sunday:
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS SUNDAY HOST: You have been one of the toughest critics, as we've said, of Planned Parenthood's alleged harvesting of body parts, selling them for fetal research. Some of the pro-choice advocates are saying language like yours -- not specifically singling you out, but language like yours -- has incited violence. I'd like to get your reaction to that, but also, what is it that you would say to protesters, people outside these clinics about the limits of their opposition?
CARLY FIORINA: Well, first, it is not "alleged." Planned Parenthood acknowledged several weeks ago that they would no longer take compensation for body parts, which sounds like an admission that they were doing so. Secondly, this is so typical of the left to immediately begin demonizing a messenger because they don't agree with the message. The vast majority of Americans agree: What Planned Parenthood is doing is wrong.And that's why the vast majority of Americans are prepared not only to defund Planned Parenthood, but also to stop abortion for any reason at all after five months. So what I would say to anyone who tries to link this terrible tragedy to anyone who opposes abortion or opposes the sale of body parts, is this is typical left-wing tactics.
Also omitted by Comedy Central, Fiorina began the Fox News Sunday interview by declaring that the killer "should be" "tried for murder":
WALLACE: Your reaction to the shootings at that clinic in Colorado Springs?
FIORINA: Well, this is a tragedy. It's obviously a tragedy. Nothing justifies this, and presumably this man who appears deranged, if nothing else, will be tried for murder, as he should be. But it's a tragedy, especially on a holiday weekend.
The Comedy Central host was not finished slamming Fiorina as he continued:
LARRY WILMORE: But Carly wasn't done.
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS SUNDAY HOST: What would you say to the protesters, the people that are outside the clinics and oppose it?
FIORINA: Well, any protesters should always be peaceful, whether it's Black Lives Matter or pro-life protesters.
WILMORE: Black Lives Matter? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, noooh! Black Lives Matter protesters, the people that are protesting being shot at by the police were literally shot at last week, and you ask for them to be peaceful? What the [bleep] Black Lives Matter have to do with any of this? How come they get dragged into this?
Below are transcripts of relevant portions of the November 29 Fox News Sunday and the Monday, November 30, The Nightly Show on Comedy Central:
#From the November 30 The Nightly Show:
LARRY WILMORE: Carly Fiorina refers to a Planned Parenthood shooter in Colorado as, quote, a "protester." That's almost as crazy as calling Carly Fiorina, quote, "a viable candidate for President."
(...)WILMORE: And there is one person who has clearly gone from drinking Kool-Aid to getting it intravenously. The mistress of brain-harvesting Kool-Aid herself, Carly Fiorina. Check out how she blamed the left.
CARLY FIORINA, FROM FOX NEWS SUNDAY: This is so typical of the left, to immediately begin demonizing a messenger because they don't agree with the message.
WILMORE: Hold on a second. The messenger is a murderer, and his message is murder. Who agrees with that message? There's no demonizing a demon. He's already a demon. That's his job -- demon-ing. But Carly wasn't done.
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS SUNDAY HOST: What would you say to the protesters, the people that are outside the clinics and oppose it?
FIORINA: Well, any protesters should always be peaceful, whether it's Black Lives Matter or pro-life protesters.
WILMORE: Black Lives Matter? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, noooh! Black Lives Matter protesters, the people that are protesting being shot at by the police were literally shot at last week, and you ask for them to be peaceful? What the [bleep] Black Lives Matter have to do with any of this? How come they get dragged into this?
#From the November 29 Fox News Sunday:
CHRIS WALLACE: Joining me now is Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, who's taken a hard line against Planned Parenthood's abortion practices. Ms. Fiorina, welcome back to Fox News Sunday.
CARLY FIORINA: Thanks for having me, Chris. Happy Thanksgiving.
WALLACE: Thank you, same to you. Your reaction to the shootings at that clinic in Colorado Springs?
FIORINA: Well, this is a tragedy. It's obviously a tragedy. Nothing justifies this, and presumably this man who appears deranged, if nothing else, will be tried for murder, as he should be. But it's a tragedy, especially on a holiday weekend.
WALLACE: You have been one of the toughest critics, as we've said, of Planned Parenthood's alleged harvesting of body parts, selling them for fetal research. Some of the pro-choice advocates are saying language like yours -- not specifically singling you out, but language like yours -- has incited violence. I'd like to get your reaction to that, but also, what is it that you would say to protesters, people outside these clinics about the limits of their opposition?
FIORINA: Well, first, it is not "alleged." Planned Parenthood acknowledged several weeks ago that they would no longer take compensation for body parts, which sounds like an admission that they were doing so. Secondly, this is so typical of the left to immediately begin demonizing a messenger because they don't agree with the message. The vast majority of Americans agree: What Planned Parenthood is doing is wrong.And that's why the vast majority of Americans are prepared not only to defund Planned Parenthood, but also to stop abortion for any reason at all after five months. So what I would say to anyone who tries to link this terrible tragedy to anyone who opposes abortion or opposes the sale of body parts, is this is typical left-wing tactics.
WALLACE: And what would you say to the protesters, the people that are outside the clinics and oppose it?
FIORINA: Well, any protesters should always be peaceful, whether it's Black Lives Matter or pro-life protesters. Protesters should always be peaceful and respectful.
