The hosts of Fox News’ “The Five” on Wednesday took turns spouting their views on black Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes, who said this week that calling people in his city “thugs” was akin to calling them the N-word.
Co-host Greg Gutfeld, who is white, kicked off the discussion by apparently mixing up two black football players: Ray Rice, who was let go by the Baltimore Ravens last year after video footage showed him beating his fiance, and Ray Lewis, a former Ravens linebacker who recently denounced the violence that took place amid protests of the police.
“You know it’s bad when Ray Rice is your voice of nonviolent reason,” Gutfeld said.
He then pivoted to talking about Stokes, who criticized white CNN host Erin Burnett for using the word “thugs” to describe people who took part in violence in Baltimore. Stokes told Burnett on-air that she might as well call them “niggers.”
“The councilman is not a leader,” Gutfeld continued. “He is a meek, cowering mouse who’s crumbling under the weight of political correctness.”
Taking it one step further, co-host Eric Bolling said that racial slurs don’t matter.
“The councilman should not worry about whether the President uses the word ‘thug’ or we use the word ;thug.’ It really doesn’t matter,” Bolling said. “The N-word doesn’t matter. What matters is 67 percent of African-American kids are growing up in a single-parent household. … But that’s what he should be addressing rather than what words we’re using to describe what the riots were or how they were perpetrated.”
Co-host Dana Perino wondered aloud whether a new word would solve the problem.
“If they cross the line from protestor into — what?” Perino asked. “What is allowed? What can you say? And maybe we need a new word if you could come up with something.”
She also provided her idea of what the liberal response to the situation would look like.
“Raise taxes on the few there that are willing to pay taxes,” Perino said. “Raise taxes on the business owners and give money to failing programs.”
However, it was host Kimberly Guilfoyle who had the final word.
“‘Thug,'” Guilfoyle chimed in, “the word ‘thug’ is colorblind.”
Watch below:
