Rosie O’Donnell Compared Radical Christians to Radical Muslims-Truth!
Summary of eRumor:
Rosie O’Donnell, who is part of the cast of ABC’s daytime show titled The View, allegedly compared radical Christians and radical Muslims. The email says she was talking about Bible-believing Christians.
The Truth:
This exchange did take place during a program of The View that was telecast on September 12, 2006, the day after the fifth anniversary of the Attack on America.
According to a transcript of the show obtained by TruthOrFiction.com, O’Donnell brought up the subject of a national speech made by President George W. Bush on September 11. In it, the President said that the safety of America depends on the outcome of the battle on the streets of Baghdad. O’Donnell said she felt the the outcome “…depends on the battle in the streets of New Orleans,” referring to reconstruction and relief efforts after the gulf hurricanes in 2005.
Another of the hosts on The View, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, spoke on behalf of the President and his actions in Afghanistan and Iraq saying, “I mean, it’s been five years, we have not been attacked,” Hasselbeck said. “We’re also in a- We’re on the on the offense here. We have to be, because we were attacked five years ago.”
O’Donnell said, “We were attacked, not by a nation, and as a result of the attack and the killing of nearly 3,000 innocent people, we invaded two countries and killed innocent people in their countries.”
Hasselbeck replied, “But do you understand that that the belief funding those attacks, okay, that is wide spread? And if you take radical Islam and you want to talk about what’s going on there, you have to…”
O’Donnell interrupted with, “And just one second. Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America where we have a separation of church and state. We’re a democracy here.”
“Hang on,” Hasselbeck replied. “We are not bombing ourselves here in the country. We are being attacked.”
“No,” said O’Donnell. “But we are bombing innocent people in other countries. True or false?”
Another co-host Joy Behar, added, “But, but Christians are not threatening to kill us. There’s that difference, This group is threatening to kill us.”
Updated 9/15/06