White House denounces Fox News anchor's CNN comments
The White House joined CNN in denouncing Fox News radio host Mark Levin after he attacked the Jewish heritage of two CNN anchors.
On his radio show this week, Levin — who is also Jewish — described CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper as “self-hating Jews” during a diatribe criticizing the network’s coverage of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
“Not only is Fox News aligning with those who fan the flames of hate – Fox is paying their salaries,” Andrew Bates, deputy White House press secretary, said Friday.
“Lying to insult the pain that families suffered in the Holocaust has absolutely no place in America. None,” Bates continued. “Sadly, this is not the first time in recent months that a Fox News host made sickening remarks about the Holocaust.”
Levin also claimed Blitzer’s parents “weren’t victims in one way or another, of the Holocaust,” which is not true. Blitzer’s parents were impacted by Nazi concentration camps and his grandparents were killed in the Holocaust, according to CNN.
CNN condemned the comments on Thursday evening as “wildly uninformed, inappropriate and shameful,” and said Levin’s “antisemitic rhetoric is dangerous, offensive and should be universally denounced.”
Levin responded to CNN’s criticism on his radio show Thursday, claiming the network was attempting to “intimidate” and “silence” him. He said CNN is “one of the most pro-Hamas media outlets in the country.”
He also made similar pro-Hamas comments about MSNBC.
Levin hosts a weekday radio show and a weekend television talk show on Fox News Channel.
The Hill has reached out to Fox News for comment.