CNN’s Jake Tapper had a problem with Fox TV’s Black-oriented streaming service, Fox Soul, when it announced that it planned to air Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan’s July Fourth speech.
Fox has since canceled the broadcast. The cancellation followed criticism from Tapper, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, and others, The Daily Beast reported.
Tapper tweeted, “Farrakhan is a vile anti-LGBTQ anti-Semitic misogynist. Why is a Fox channel airing his propaganda?”
Filmmaker, author and activist Tariq Nasheed weighed in on Tapper’s blind spot in taking issue with Fox and Farrakhan.
“Jack Tapper from CNN has an issue with minister Farrakhan (who is a victim of anti-Black racism) getting a platform..But has Jack complained about the network he works for, CNN giving platforms to dangerous white supremacists like Richard Spencer, David Duke, & Dog Chapman?”
Tapper’s criticism of Farrakhan didn’t sit well with many, including hip-hop artist and actor Ice Cube, who warned Tapper online, tweeting, “Watch your mouth Jake.”
“(Ice Cube is) an ardent supporter of Louis Farrakhan, one of the world’s most prominent anti-Semites, and, most troubling of all, the rapper and actor was accused in May 2015 of ordering his entourage to beat up a rabbi,” blasted Marlow Stern of The Daily Beast.
Others called out the hypocrisy of the censorship of Farrakhan’s “Message To America” speech. The Moguldom Nation founder Jamarlin Martin tweeted, “Censorship is always going to be abused by the American MSM, they will side with the POWER AND $ on the application of censorship views. There is no reason to think a maldistribution of censorship wouldn’t follow the US justice system. Jake Tapper is a BIG ABUSER of this.”
Fox Soul’s head of programming is James DuBose. The Farrakhan speech and was dropped and Fox Soul plans instead to air a compilation of inspirational speeches about racial relations from “the greatest Black leaders and thinkers,” according to a statement posted on Twitter. The statement, however, didn’t explain why Farrakhan’s speech was canceled.
The speech was going to address the current unrest in the country, according to NOI’s Seventh Regional Student Minister Patrick Muhammad in a Moguldom Nation exclusive.
“This message is so important because it is one for the president of the United States of America; it is one for those who rule this world financially and control America and the world; it is one for the Pope; it is one for the Muslim leaders; it is one for the Black community; it is one for the Native people and it is one for white people. This message is for everyone,” Muhammad told The Moguldom Nation.
Fox launched Fox Soul in January 2020 to reach African-American audiences and offer an alternative to the conservative branding of Fox News.
This isn’t the first time Tapper zoomed in on Farrakhan. Back in 2018 when he interviewed then-Rep. Keith Ellison — now the attorney general of Minnesota — they butted heads over Farrakhan. Ellison was once a member of the Nation of Islam, but told Tapper then that he had no relationship with the organization’s leader, nor had he met with Farrakhan, Hot Air reported.
Tapper said to Ellison during the interview, “Well you are decrying bigotry. Louis Farrakhan is a pretty clear bigot.”
Ellison replied, “Right. And I agree that that’s true. And I think that I made myself very clear. But look that’s going back to the false equivalency. You know, I don’t have any support for what the individual you just mentioned stands for, nor do I agree with Trump’s bigotry either.”
Tapper interrupted, saying, “You were a follower of Farrakhan. You were a follower of Farrakhan, sir.”
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 73: Jamarlin Martin Jamarlin makes the case for why this is a multi-factor rebellion vs. just protests about George Floyd. He discusses the Democratic Party’s sneaky relationship with the police in cities and states under Dem control, and why Joe Biden is a cop and the Steve Jobs of mass incarceration.
“Jake, Jake, no I wasn’t. Jake, I’m sorry,” Ellison answered. “That is not true, Jake. But I just want to say to you if anyone who raises concerns about bigotry then is put in a position to have to defend themselves, then we never get to talk about bigotry and I hope that’s not what your purpose is, Jake, because you’ve stood for an equal society but if you are going to try to put me on the spot and have to explain myself – I didn’t pass a Muslim ban. I didn’t – this isn’t my executive order.”
Minister Farrakhan will deliver his message at 11 a.m. EST on Saturday, July Fourth on noi.org. Streaming is free.
