Sen. Kennedy reacts to BLM leader saying 'we will burn down the system'
Sen. John Kennedy comments on a Black Lives Matter leader, Hank Newsome saying they will 'burn down the system' if they don't get what they want
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., called out Democrats Thursday for not speaking out against protesters who are seeking to destroy statues and historic monuments, arguing those who commit such illegal acts should be arrested.
Speaking to host Sandra Smith on "America's Newsroom," Kennedy said decisions about monuments in public places "should be made by consensus, not the mob."
"Unfortunately, the statue police, we've all seen it on TV are trying to turn our cities into scenes from 'Mad Max.' The mayors, Speaker Pelosi are allowing it and they think all these folks need are hugs and hot cocoa. I think they need to go to jail and be made to clean up their mess or pay for it. Anarchy is not harmless fun," he said.
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Kennedy responded to Wednesday night's Fox News interview with Greater New York Black Lives Matter president Hawk Newsome. "If this country doesn't give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it," he told host Martha MacCallum on "The Story."
Later in the interview, Newsome insisted the Black Lives Matter movement is about "saving lives" and its adherents should be "applauded" for upholding the Second Amendment.
"Nobody's talking about ambushing police officers. We're talking about protecting lives," he said.
"There's nothing more American than that. We talk about uplifting and upholding the Second Amendment but it seems to be the hypocrisy of America that when black people start talking about arming themselves and defending themselves, [that] talk is 'violent'. But when white people grab assault rifles and go to our nation's, their state capitals, it's all good."
Kennedy said he watched the whole interview and he came away from it feeling that Newsome was expressing a hatred for America and that the country "was evil in its origins."
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"Now this is America. He's entitled to have that opinion but he is not entitled to act on those convictions and be violent. It has been tolerated by our mayors, and by leaders on Capitol Hill," he said.
Historic monuments and statues have become the targets of anger and vandalism during Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd's police custody death in Minneapolis at the end of May.
The initial statues under fire were Confederate soldiers and generals largely in the South due to the treatment of African-Americans, and even some high-level military officials called for the renaming of Army bases named after Confederate generals. The anger has since spread to monuments of former presidents and others deemed to be “colonizers,” such as Christopher Columbus, and even some who fought against slavery.
Fox News' Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.