Activist tells Tucker she’s preparing for war with Trump’s America — then he corners her with facts
Fox News host Tucker Carlson sparred on his show Monday with a liberal activist who helped start a self-defense gym in Chicago to train people who fear impending violence and war with President Donald Trump, his administration and his supporters.
The Haymaker Collective, founded by a group of left-wing activists in response to Trump’s election, provides free martial arts training and self-defense classes to anyone in Chicago, according to a donation page for the organization:
Since the election of Trump, there has been a dramatic rise in violent attacks against minority and oppressed groups. Rather than give in to fear or turn to leaders who promise power, we believe that people should protect each other and organize their lives together.We envision a space where people, regardless of ability, can learn the skills they need to stay safe in Trump’s America. We envision a new culture of fitness based on solidarity and mutual aid. We not only want to improve ourselves, but help create a new world along the way.
“Naila,” a pseudonym of the woman who helped start the gym, told Carlson that “the war has already been established,” referring to white nationalists causing terrorism.
“There are certain bodies that are vulnerable to attack, that there’s been an increase in racism and xenophobia and we feel that it’s necessary for us to learn self-defense skills,” she said, citing, without evidence, that there’s been a 20 percent increase in hate crime since Trump’s election.
Carlson said he didn’t disagree with wanting to learn martial arts but told Nalia he believes her concern is “misplaced.” Instead of focusing on terrorism at the hands of white nationalists, Carlson said Nalia should be focused on staying safe in her hometown of Chicago, which has seen nearly 2,000 people shot this year.
“I don’t think any of [the shootings] have been perpetrated by right-wingers … or Trump supporters,” Carlson pointed out. “So maybe you have other things to worry about.”
Indeed, according to statistics gathered by the Chicago Tribune, 1,924 people in Chicago have been shot as of July 9. Nearly every single incident is a consequence of the gang war ravaging Chicago’s streets, and none of the incidents have been Trump supporters waging terrorism on minorities.
Those facts, however, didn’t persuade Nalia.
“The vast majority of violent extremism comes from right-wing, white nationalists,” she said, citing a Cato Institute report that noted a recent study from the government that found right-wing “extremists” are responsible for an overwhelming majority of terrorism in the U.S. since 9/11. Nalia also claimed that 80 percent of deadly terrorism incidents in the U.S. are perpetrated by people who feel that “different people, races and religions don’t belong.”
“Wow,” Carlson replied. But the Fox host wanted to return the discussion to the local level. After all, Nalia’s gym isn’t nationwide and only provides the classes free for people living in Chicago.
“How many of [Chicago’s] 2,000 shootings were perpetrated by right-wingers?” he asked.
Nalia failed to address Carlson’s question directly, telling him to review statistics gathered by the Chicago Police Department. Instead, she told Carlson that her organization is “more interested” in hate crimes that happen to minorities or situations that make minorities feel “unsafe.”
Throughout the entire interview, Nalia cited only two incidents that happened due to racism. She said she fears public transportation after a racist man in Portland stabbed three people on a train in May. Ironically, that man, Jeremey Christian, was an apparent supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Jill Stein last year. She also cited an incident that happened last month when a young Muslim girl was murdered, though that incident isn’t believed to be hate-related.
Still, Carlson couldn’t get passed the fact that Nalia was concerned about her safety on Chicago’s South Side because a man in Portland stabbed three people when there have been more than 1,900 people shot in Chicago in just six months.
“I’m not a shrink or anything, but I’m just worried that your fears may be a little bit overblown,” Carlson said. “You’ve got a terrible gang problem in Chicago, but that doesn’t scare you at all?”
In response, Nalia said she isn’t concerned about being shot and reiterated her fear of being a victim of a hate crime, citing the Muslim teenager who was murdered last month in Virginia.
However, that teenager, Nabra Hassanen, wasn’t a victim of a hate crime but rather a road rage incident. Also, the crime wasn’t perpetrated by a Trump supporter or white nationalist. Instead the suspect is an undocumented immigrant.
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