A Fox News guest discussing last week’s “drag nuns” protest, the Trump prosecution and “the left” has suggested the time may be coming for someone in America to “pull the trigger” like at Concord, the battle which helped to spark the Revolutionary War.
Retired MLB pitcher and conservative commentator Curt Schilling made the on-air comments Friday while in conversation with host Jesse Watters. Schilling complained that leaders on the right “talk, talk, that’s all they’re doing” without backing up ideology with action.
“We’re up against a side and a force that doesn’t play by the rules – refuses to play by the rules,” Schilling said, adding of conservatives: “We get excited, and we get emotional; that’s it. They break the law; they do the things they need to do to ensure their agenda is driven forward – and we’re watching them gut our nation from the inside out, and I don’t know where the rubber’s gonna meet the road.”
Referencing the American founding fathers and “the young men that signed the Constitution,” Schilling continued: “They sacrificed everything to come out from under a tyrannical government and, then, eventually, at some point, there was a man at Concord who decided he was gonna pull the trigger.”
The Battles of Lexington and Concord on 19 April 1775 marked the start of America’s ultimately victorious War of Independence from Britain.
“And I feel like we’re getting back to a point where somebody’s gonna have to pull a trigger, because everything we hold dear – everything this country was founded on – is being just dragged through the mud and mocked and made fun of,” he said. “This country was founded on godly principles – no matter how offensive that is to the left, it’s true.”
When Watters asked whether his guest meant “pull the trigger” metaphorically, Schilling stumbled slightly over his words.
“Absolutely. Well, no,” he said. “I mean, it doesn’t matter if I say ‘metaphorically,’ because they’re gonna run with that quote no matter how I put it. I could’ve phrased it in any possible way, saying ‘stand up and fight and blah blah blah’ – and I would be inciting a riot.”
The backlash was swift on social media, where Schilling’s choice of words – despite the partial backtracking – was vilified as inciteful.
The Intellectuast, @highbrow_nobrow, tweeted a clip of the interview on Saturday, writing: “This is a very clear dog whistle for stochastic terrorism” while deriding Fox as “dangerous propaganda.”
“This is who MAGA are — they prefer violence over voting,” wrote Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, tweeting a clip of the comments. “It’s not going to work. RT if you plan to vote next November.”
Author Brian O’Sullivan called Schilling’s comments “undeniably dangerous” in a tweet, suggesting charges should result “If some right-wing nut ever took his call-to-arms to heart.”
Schilling is no stranger to political controversy. The All-Star pitcher was fired by ESPN in 2016 after promoting social media content that appeared to mock the transgender community. He was an outspoken Trump supporter and has espoused the 45th President’s aversion to finesse, coming under fire more than once for posts and statements many deemed offensive.
The Independent has reached out to Fox News Media. Schilling, one day after his Fox interview made headlines, attempted clarification again on Twitter.
“Be the first to admit it was a bad choice of words but it was clarified immediately,” he wrote on Saturday. “As I said then and we’ve seen now, doesn’t matter. They’ll outright lie and make up s**t to the point where they can quote you and create a fictional quote then jate {sic) you for it or talk s**t. Or the best one is when these clowns do the ‘dog whistle’ BS OR ‘what he meant to say was’ schtick.
“No matter, like I said, when you call them out as the American hating lazy ass frauds they are they scream and make s**t up. Their ENTIRE EXISTANCE (sic) is based on race, sexual orientation, unfettered access to abortion, legalizing drugs and emotions. Facts elude them and destroy everything they claim. Facts and an honest days (sic) work that is.”
