The White House and CNN are strongly condemning Fox News radio host Mark Levin for his derogatory remarks targeting the Jewish heritage of two CNN anchors.
During a recent episode of his radio show, Levin, who himself is Jewish, referred to CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper as “self-hating Jews” while criticizing the network’s coverage of Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
The Deputy White House Press Secretary, Andrew Bates, expressed his disapproval on Friday, stating that Fox News is not only aligning with those who promote hate but is also footing the bill for their salaries.
Bates added, “Making dishonest remarks to insult the pain endured by families during the Holocaust has absolutely no place in America. None. Unfortunately, this is not the first occurrence in recent months where a Fox News host has made repugnant comments about the Holocaust.”
Levin also falsely claimed that Blitzer’s parents were not victims of the Holocaust in any way. In reality, Blitzer’s parents were directly affected by Nazi concentration camps, and his grandparents lost their lives in the Holocaust, according to CNN.
CNN promptly condemned Levin’s comments, describing them as “wildly uninformed, inappropriate, and shameful.” The network asserted that Levin’s rhetoric is dangerous, offensive, and should be universally condemned due to its antisemitic nature.
In response to CNN’s criticism, Levin accused the network of attempting to “intimidate” and “silence” him during his radio show. He further asserted that CNN is one of the leading pro-Hamas media outlets in the country, a sentiment he also shared about MSNBC.
Levin, who hosts both a weekday radio show and a weekend television talk show on Fox News Channel, has yet to comment on the controversy. The Hill has reached out to Fox News for their statement on the matter.
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