Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Fox News’ Lawrence Jones Defends Fellow Anchor Against Racial Accusations Made While Discussing Kamala Harris

[Screenshot/Fox News]

Fox News’ Lawrence Jones defended his fellow “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday as social media users accused him of saying the word “colored” during a segment about Vice President Kamala Harris.

Kilmeade criticized Harris for her decision to speak to a historically black sorority in Indianapolis, Indiana, rather than be present at Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. The moment sparked an uproar on social media as users misinterpreted Kilmeade’s use of the term “college sorority” as “colored.”

“She’d rather address, in the summer, a sorority, a college sorority, like she can’t get out of that. So that’s her decision. It’s her decision to back up the [anti-Israel] protesters,” Kilmeade said.

White House Correspondents Associations (WHCA) President Eugene Daniels quoted Kilmeade saying “colored” in an X post uploaded Wednesday morning.

“Kilmeade: ‘She’d rather address, in the summer, a sorority … a COLORED sorority, like she can’t get outta that!’ Not this in the year of Beyoncé 2024,” Daniels said.

Kilmeade: “She’d rather address, in the summer, a sorority … a COLORED sorority, like she can’t get outta that!”

Not this in the year of Beyoncé 2024.

pic.twitter.com/SH6mdRsxmV

— Eugene Daniels (@EugeneDaniels2) July 24, 2024

Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman Jamie Harrison went after Jones for not correcting Kilmeade and sitting on the couch “as quiet as a church mouse.” Jones defended Kilmeade against the “dishonest” accusations , then challenged Harrison to debate the “bullshit” he advocates for.

“‘A COLORED sorority” … in 2024 on national tv… this clown thought it was correct and appropriate to use the term ‘colored’ to describe a distinguished and historic African American sorority,” Harrison wrote on X. “But what is even worse… a Black man sat a few feet away on that couch and didn’t correct him. He was as quiet as a church mouse. Folks be prepared for the racism and misogyny… but let’s put them on notice, America is now ‘unburdened’ and we ain’t going back!!!”

“I’m the black man,” Jones replied in a quote tweet. “You’re so damn dishonest. He said ‘college.’ But that’s all you have. You know the bullshit that you advocate for only brings death, poverty, and destruction to our black communities. You are welcome on the show anytime to debate it. Me and you.”

I’m the black man. You’re so damn dishonest. He said “college.”

But that’s all you have. You know the bullshit that you advocate for only brings death, poverty, and destruction to our black communities. You are welcome on the show anytime to debate it.

Me and you. https://t.co/j4g1G1dDRx

— Lawrence Jones III (@LawrenceBJones3) July 24, 2024

Harris is scheduled to speak to Zeta Phi Beta at the Indiana Convention Center less than 48 hours after she received the sufficient number of delegates to win the Democratic nomination, according to IndyStar. The Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said the vice president’s goal is to earn momentum among nonwhite female voters in the deep red state of Indiana, which a Democrat has not won since 2008.

The media has accused Republicans of increasing racial attacks against Harris since becoming the presumptive nominee for the Democrats. The New York Times opinion writer Mara Gay said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that Republicans chose to “just try racism” against Harris during a Tuesday segment.

Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida said the term DEI holds the same meaning as the “the n-word” during a CNN interview on Tuesday.