A Fox News host has protested against war in Syria by covering his hand in “blood” live on television.

Eric Bolling, a financial analyst and co-host on Fox’s The Five current affairs discussion panel show, turned to face the camera mid-debate and said: “I have to do this.”

He then held up his hand, apparently smeared with blood, and warned the viewing American public that “we should be very careful before we shed any more blood – ours or theirs”.

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Mr Bolling, who had just been criticising President Barack Obama for getting the US involved in Syria by setting a “red line” regarding chemical weapons use, said: “There is no reason to shed blood – ours or theirs – for a civil war between two radical Muslim groups who frankly hate us.”

He concluded: “This is not our war people, we need to stay out of the Middle East.”

His fellow panel members on The Five seemed shocked – even a little amused – by the protest, and asked him: “Where did you get that stuff from?”

He replied “It’s ketchup.”

Views took to Twitter to respond, and some were supportive - @FloridaJayhawk posted: “I liked the bloody hand today… #NoSyrianWar.”

Others described it as “disgusting”, while Thomas Nichols, Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College, accused Mr Balling of “going full tin foil”.

He said: “I regret ever having defended him on my blog as a reasonable commentator. My bad.”