It’s What the Murdochs Want

You don’t need to read the El Paso killer’s manifesto. Just turn on Fox News.

Interpretations of the white supremacist “great replacement” conspiracy theory have existed for decades. However, in recent years the theory has been popularized by notable right-wing figures. In a nutshell, the conspiracy theory maintains that global elites are working to intentionally “replace” populations of white people with people of color through mass immigration. …

This conspiracy theory has existed on the fringes of society for decades. But in the Trump era, it has been brought to the forefront by right-wing media and Fox figures like Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Brian Kilmeade. In the build up to last year’s midterm elections, Donald Trump and Fox News made the theory of an allegedly Soros-linked ” invasion” by a migrant caravan a central election issue. …

It cannot be understated how dangerous this rhetoric is; scaring people into a constant state of threat is treacherous. Even after the shooter’s manifesto was made public, Fox’s Brian Kilmeade doubled down on the invasion rhetoric and Tucker Carlson said that white supremacy is “actually not a real problem in America.”

Adam Serwer of The Atlantic commented on MSNBC: “Fox News’ rating strategy is making white people scared and angry. The Republican Party’s political strategy is making white people scared and angry. The president’s reelection strategy is making white people scared and angry, which is why all these condemnations of white supremacy [on conservative, right-wing sources] are basically meaningless, because that’s the strategy that they’re going to pursue no matter what.”

The above was excerpted from the complete article on Media Matters For America.