A Fox News host is defending Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s false claims that Muslims in the U.S. cheered the devastation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks—and going even farther by claiming Muslims were tipped off to the attacks.
Host Eric Bolling said Tuesday on Fox News’ “The Five” that Muslims in either “Pakistan or Paterson (N.J.)” were “tipped off prior to the thing,” referring to the 9/11 attacks.
Here’s the clip from BuzzFeed News reporter Andrew Kaczynski:
Here’s the longer video of @ericbolling claiming U.S. Muslims were tipped off about 9.11 to watch on their rooftops. https://t.co/l5nMBLhPqP
— Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) December 2, 2015
“I remember specifically the news reports about Jersey City,” Bolling said. “They said people were on the roofs watching the planes fly in. They were tipped off prior to the thing, and this was a narrative that was going on. I remember video. I don’t remember if it was Pakistan or Paterson.”
Bolling argued it was significant that Muslims were cheering the attacks, regardless of how many people actually celebrated.
“There were claims that his group, his whole mosque was cheering the planes actually, finally, doing what he tried to do in 1993,” he said. “Whether or not it was a thousand, thousand, a few hundred, a handful. Who cares, there were Muslims.”
When Kaczynski pointed out that Bolling was wrong, Bolling attacked him for being young when both the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and 9/11 happened.
ad hominem?.. or fact? 6th or 7th grade? I was in the WTC Feb 1993 when we were bombed & watched in person 9/11/01 https://t.co/XTS0hSy9TZ
— Eric Bolling (@ericbolling) December 2, 2015
NOTHING is made up you juvenile hack reporter. NOTHING! https://t.co/SEQsjFEqyt
— Eric Bolling (@ericbolling) December 2, 2015
There is no evidence of Bolling’s nor Trump’s claims of celebration as the Twin Towers fell. Bolling posted a Fox News link with adebunked claim that five men set up video cameras prior to the attacks to film the towers. The men turned out to be five Israel Jews who had no connection to the attacks and were later deported for overstaying their visas.
Read this.. or the last paragraph. https://t.co/6L77va2WtY
Are you claiming NYT is not a credible news source? https://t.co/rk9af3iqFV
— Eric Bolling (@ericbolling) December 2, 2015
