Following the controversy over her remarks about Muslim Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), the Fox News Channel has abruptly canceled Saturday night’s scheduled airing of the Justice with Judge Jeanine Pirro show that regularly airs at 9 p.m. on Saturday, according to a report by Variety. The sudden cancellation comes the day after a terror attack on two New Zealand mosques by a white eco-nationalist killed 50 Muslims and wounded dozens more.
Fox News Channel replaced tonight’s broadcast of Jeanine Pirro’s weekly program with a repeat episode of its documentary series “Scandalous,” just days after the 21st Century Fox-owned cable-news network said it condemned remarks the outspoken host made about Minnesota Democrat Ihan Omar.
The change in Fox News’s schedule was evident in an on-screen cable guide. But a Pirro broadcast had been placed in newspaper TV listings for this evening.
When reached for comment, a Fox News spokesperson said, “We’re not commenting on internal scheduling matters” and declined to elaborate.
During the course of a lengthy commentary on Omar and how her anti-Semitism effects House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the Democratic Party, Pirro questioned whether Rep. Ilhan Omar’s belief in Islamic Sharia law conflicts with her obligation to uphold the Constitution. Addressing Pelosi, Pirro said:
Your party is not anti-Israel, she is. Think about this. She’s not getting this anti-Israel sentiment doctrine from the Democrat Party. So if it’s not rooted in the party, where is she getting it from? Think about it.
Omar wears a hijab, which, according to the Quran 33:59, tells women to cover so they won’t get molested. Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia law, which in itself is antithetical to the United States Constitution?”
I don’t have to tell you, Nancy, Jews have been persecuted almost from the beginning of time, when they were forced out of Egypt, to the six million killed in the Holocaust. And now we are witnessing the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe where incidents are up seventy-four percent in the last year alone in France. Where Jewish cemeteries are regularly desecrated with swastikas and people relay the common tropes of Jews with too much money and influence.
We all know how it starts. It starts that way. Hate is hate. Hate leads to violence and violence leads to retaliation. Which then leads to unrest and worse.
Yes, Nancy, it’s all about hating Israel to promote the cause of Palestine. President Trump was right when he said the Democrat Party is now the anti-Israel party. And don’t forget, Nancy, history has proven over an over when you appease anti-Semitic sentiment, the worst happens.
And in your case, Nancy, the danger for you is that your appeasing this behavior will lead to your removal as Speaker and the Democrats, now controlled by socialists and anti-Semites, will lose the presidency in 2020.”
Pirro’s opening statement from last Saturday’s show is still on her Twitter page. However, Pirro has not tweeted since last Sunday morning. Fox issued a statement Sunday night condemning Pirro’s remarks.
President Trump was right when he said the democrat party is now the anti-Israel party. Don’t forget Nancy, history has proven over and over when you appease to anti-Semitic sentiment, the worst happens. #OpeningStatement pic.twitter.com/vrnzhcu95o
— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) March 10, 2019
Pirro’s last tweet was Sunday morning.
Guess 10 hrs prepping w dems backfired. https://t.co/DhsDgTWRr9
— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) March 10, 2019
Fox News issued a statement Sunday night condemning Pirro’s remarks, “We strongly condemn Jeanine Pirro’s comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar. They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly.”
Fox also released a statement by Pirro at the same time, “I’ve seen a lot of comments about my opening statement from Saturday night’s show and I did not call Rep. Omar un-American. My intention was to ask a question and start a debate, but of course because one is Muslim does not mean you don’t support the Constitution. I invite Rep. Omar to come on my show any time to discuss all of the important issues facing America today.”
On Monday, Omar tweeted, “Thank you, @FoxNews. No one’s commitment to our constitution should be questioned because of their faith or country of birth”
Thank you, @FoxNews. No one’s commitment to our constitution should be questioned because of their faith or country of birth. https://t.co/haqm7NWRw0
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 11, 2019
Pirro lost several advertisers this past week over her comments about Omar, as did Fox News Channel prime time host Tucker Carlson who was targeted for comments he made a decade before as a call-in guest to a comedy talk radio show.
UPDATE: Fox aired a special report on the Kennedy family 1991 Easter weekend rape accusation scandal in place of Justice with Jeanine.
The New York Times reported Fox is declining to state whether they are suspending Pirro, repeating what they had told Variety.
“Fox News declined to say whether Ms. Pirro had been formally suspended. “We are not commenting on internal scheduling matters,” the network said in a statement on Saturday evening.”
