Fox News star Neil Cavuto and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Tim Ryan went toe-to-toe on Monday — and Ryan ended up having his mic cut off after a heated exchange.
Cavuto asked Ryan if it was fair to blame the president for the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, asking if Ryan really believes the president is “inciting this type of behavior.”
[Sponsored] What!? Shocking Thing Found in California Man’s Head“I believe that the president is most certainly creating an environment here where people like this kid in El Paso drive ten hours to go kill Mexicans, kill people of color,” Ryan responded.
Cavuto pointed out that an outspoken supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders was responsible for the mass shooting of Republican lawmakers at a congressional baseball practice in 2017.
He asked if it was fair to blame a politician over their most extreme supporters.
“I’ve got my disagreements with Bernie Sanders,” Ryan responded. “But let me just say, Bernie Sanders is not creating an environment of intolerance, he’s not other-ing people. He’s not dismissing people because of the color of their skin.”
According to Ryan, Trump is a “race-baiter” that “tries to separate us based on color.” He brought up, again, that the El Paso shooter’s suspected manifesto echoed some language the president has used in the past.
“You’re blaming his language on these shootings,” Cavuto said. “That’s going an extra mile, don’t you think?”
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“Look, I’m saying he has created an environment in the United States that is absolutely toxic,” Ryan said.
“What was the environment under Barack Obama when we had shootings?” Cavuto asked.
“You pick and choose, but you don’t like Donald Trump, right?”
Linking Trump’s words directly to a mass shooting is a leap in logic, Cavuto pointed out. “As long as I can remember, congressman, tragically I’ve seen school shootings … but the fact of the matter is, for many of you and your colleagues to jump and cite the president — and I’m no apologist for the president as regular viewers of this show can attest — but, come on, that’s a leap too far.”
“I’m not taking a leap! I’m telling it like it is,” Ryan replied. “I’m telling you exactly how I see it. I’m sorry it’s the case and I’m sorry it may cut against somebody’s political beliefs and they may agree with Trump’s political philosophy, which is fine. If there is one, it’s fine.”
“I’m talking about him creating an environment of intolerance in the United States,” Ryan said. “Instead of ‘out of many, one,’ He divides us. You know it, and everybody else that pays a little bit of attention understands that this is his M.O. — This is what he does!”
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Cavuto said Ryan had gone too far. He didn’t like finger-pointing, he explained later to his viewers, and didn’t want to appear “rude” — but he wasn’t going to allow that nonsense to continue.
Ryan was cut off, and Fox News quickly went to commercial.
You can see the video here —