With the news that Charleston Police officials describe the Wednesday evening attack that killed 9 people at the Emanuel AME Church as a “hate crime” comes the inevitable pushback and skepticism from some who either view race-based conversations as a non-starter or prefer to wait until all facts become available.

It seems as though Fox’s Steve Doocy and guest E.W. Jackson are in the former camp, as during Thursday’s Fox & Friends the pair expressed doubt as to early claims the shooting was done in the name of racial hate. Instead, the pair both suggested, if anything, the “hate crime” designation may refer to the ongoing “War on Christians” in America.

“There does seem to be a rising hostility against Christians in this country because of our biblical views,” Jackson, a pastor himself, said after urging that everyone wait for the facts. “It is something we have to be aware of.”

Later, Doocy added, “Extraordinarily, they called it a ‘hate crime,’ and some look at it as, ‘Well, because it was a white guy and a black church,’ but you made a great point earlier about the hostility towards Christians. And it was a church. So maybe that’s what they were talking about. They haven’t explained it to us.”

Jackson agreed: “Most people jump to conclusions about race. I long for the day when we stop doing that in our country. But we don’t know why he went into a church, but he didn’t choose a bar, he didn’t choose a basketball court, he chose a church.”

Watch below, via Fox:

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