Fox News host Greg Gutfeld sang the praises of an alleged child sex abuser during a recent episode of his show.
Gutfeld made the comments on Monday during a segment discussing a 38-year-old math teacher who allegedly slept with a 16-year-old male student, according to Media Matters.
"OK, this 38-year-old math teacher in California, was once named teacher of the year — and I support that — was arrested and booked into jail for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old male student. She posted bail but this is what bothers me," Gutfeld said during the broadcast.
At that point, co-host Kat Timpf cut in and asked if "what bothers" Gutfeld is the fact that a teacher had sex with a minor who was also her student.
"No, that she went to jail for it!" Gutfeld responded. "I'm sorry! Come on! 16-years-old — I would have died for that!"
Someone in the studio off-screen can be heard laughing.
The camera then cuts to Timpf, who Gutfeld is goading for a response.
"Again, I am vehemently against banging kids," she replies, to laughter. "I can't believe how many times I've had to say that just sitting in this chair."
Gutfeld continues trying to break through to his co-hosts, asking them to "live in the real world", while Timpf walks back her joke, assuring the audience "I've never had to say it any other time."
Regardless of what Gutfeld and Timpf's actual views on the subject are, neither appear to be taking the child sex abuse story seriously during that moment in the broadcast.
"A 16-year-old boy! 16-year-old boy with like a hot teacher. You're, I mean — what was the Van Halen song? Hot for teacher? That was written about this!" Gutfeld said. "It wasn't about, hey, let's have a responsible relationship with someone close to my age."
He then tosses the subject to one of his guests, Dr Peter Boghossian — an "intellectual dark web" type who quit his job teaching philosophy at Portland State University because it got too woke — and asks him what he thinks.
"Peter, you're a professor. You deal with, you've dealt with topics in a way like this. Am I right to say it's an unfair comparison to do the female-to-male teacher?" Gutfeld insists. "Like a male teacher, 38-year-old, creepy. Female, heroic."
Timpf calls Gutfeld — who just called an alleged child rapist a hero — "disgusting". Mr Boghossian and the studio audience laugh.
The Independent has reached out to Fox News for comment.
Gutfeld has — by his own admission — been quick to sling the term "groomer" at LGBT+ activists and drag queens. Those allegations fuel conspiracy theories that LGBT+ people and media are secretly trying to corrupt and sexualize conservatives' children.
Mr Boghossian gives a rambling explanation about how men and women are different and how society views men and women differently before ultimately concluding that yes, it is wrong to sexually abuse a child.
Gutfeld tosses the same question to Never Back Down PAC comms director Erin Perrine, who seems incredulous that he even has to ask.
"I agree with Kat [Timpf]! The idea that a teacher is sleeping with such a young student is wholly inappropriate," she said.
Gutfeld then concedes that he does not condone the sex abuse, "I just envy it."
