On Thursday morning’s edition of Fox & Friends, host Brian Kilmeade criticized survivors of the February 14 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting who took part in a CNN gun violence town hall a week later as “emotional” and “illogical.”

During an interview with NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch, Kilmeade told her, “No one had it worse than you in that town hall where people were just so emotional, illogical — they were unconsolable [sic].”

While Kilmeade may view Loesch as the real victim, 17 people were killed during the shooting, and the town hall featured commentary and questions from survivors and family members of those who were murdered.

The crowd at the town hall made it clear that they support banning AR-15s, the weapon Nikolas Cruz legally obtained to carry out the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. But Fox & Friends‘ interview with Loesch illustrated how the NRA and prominent Republicans like President Trump have since manipulated the post-Parkland discussion into one about militarizing schools and arming teachers.

“Dana, I think we’re all on board with you that the schools should be hardened,” host Steve Doocy said. “And the president has been talking about, you know, maybe we do, across the board, what they do in a number of states — and that’s arm the teachers.”


Kilmeade’s comments are not the first instance of a Fox News personality attacking Parkland survivors. On February 21, The Five host Greg Gutfeld offered some unsolicited “advice” to the students.

“You’ve got to beware of when other groups co-opt your protest,” he warned, echoing a right-wing smear campaign against the students that originated on pro-Trump blogs.