Things aren’t looking too good for twice-failed-presidential-candidate-turned-CNN-commentator Rick Santorum after a clip of him making racist remarks about Native Americans surfaced online.
The video was taken during a speech Santorum gave last Friday at a white supremacist rally Young America’s Foundation conference, during which he proudly stated that the culture of the United States was birthed by “Judeo-Christian” values.
“We came here and created a blank slate. We birthed a nation from nothing,” he claimed. “I mean, there was nothing here. I mean, yes we have Native Americans, but candidly there isn’t much Native American culture in American culture.”
The frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex says what? https://t.co/rijdocZmLV
— Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) April 26, 2021
Now, several Indigenous groups and their allies are urging CNN to fire Santorum, who has been a senior political commentator at the network since 2017.
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In a statement, National Congress of American Indians president Fawn Sharp called him “an unhinged and embarrassing racist who disgraces CNN and any other media company that provides him a platform.”
“Any mainstream media organization should fire him or face a boycott from more than 500 Tribal Nations and our allies from across the country and worldwide,” Sharp said.
Meanwhile, the Native American Journalists Association called on CNN to “immediately dismiss” Santorum and urged Native American and Alaska Native reporters not to work with the network “in the wake of continued racist comments and insensitive reporting directed at Indigenous people.”
And Crystal Echo Hawk of IllumiNative said, “CNN must do more to include Indigenous and diverse voices in its programming and fire Rick Santorum,” adding that “allowing him to spread racism and white supremacy to the American public is reckless and irresponsible.”
An online petition calling on the network to fire Santorum has received nearly 6,000 signatures and counting, including from celebrities like Mark Ruffalo, who endorsed it on Twitter.
I just signed a @theactionnet petition: Remove Rick Santorum from CNN. Sign here: https://t.co/rOorCgDcCK
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) April 27, 2021
And then there is the avalanche of angry tweets from people who are upset with the network for not taking immediate action and remaining radio silent on the matter…
.@CNN has the right to continue to broadcast @RickSantorum's insipid commentary if it chooses
But it also has an obligation to speak out against Santorum's blatantly racist remarks about Native Americans
So far it's been two days of silence
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) April 28, 2021
Rick Santorum’s horrific comments against Native Americans should earn him an immediate firing from CNN. And what’s this ‘we’ stuff Rick, your dad’s name was Aldo and he came here on a boat from Italy, your Mom was Irish descent. You’re an immigrant like the rest of us asshole.
— NoelCaslerComedy (@CaslerNoel) April 26, 2021
Hey @CNN how many Native Americans political commentators do you have?
Since you give a platform to ppl like Rick Santorum—whose entire career is based on scoring political points by taking cheap shots at LGBTQ folks, ppl of color and now Native Americans.
— Rebecca Nagle (@rebeccanagle) April 26, 2021
Dear @CNN,
WHY are you STILL paying Rick Santorum to spread his racist message?
— D. Earl Stephens ?? (@EarlOfEnough) April 28, 2021
Rick Santorum should be removed from @CNN #RemoveRick
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) April 26, 2021
Having Rick Santorum on @CNN is the same as having Meghan McCain on @TheView, just because networks want different ideas on shows, doesn't mean they need to amplify bigots and propagandists.
— David Weissman (@davidmweissman) April 26, 2021
Just a reminder, Rick Santorum compared relationships like the one I have with my husband to people marrying dogs, and CNN put him on their payroll anyway.
— Daniel Summers, MD (@WFKARS) April 26, 2021
Life is better without @CNN/@RickSantorum
— Richard Signorelli (@richsignorelli) April 28, 2021
Rick Santorum is racist and uneducated. I’m not watching CNN until he is fired. It’s not cancel culture, it’s bare minimum standards of historical knowledge and common decency that are not being met.
— Kate ? (@ImSpeaking13) April 27, 2021
I hope CNN replaces Rick Santorum with a Native American.
— I Smoked Giuliani's Four Seasons Total Prison Cell (@BlackKnight10k) April 27, 2021
In a statement, Santorum said he “had no intention of minimizing or in any way devaluing Native American culture” when he minimized and devalued Native American culture.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Mister P
Pennsylvania fired him as a Senator after one term. CNN is finding out he isn’t that great at defending the madness of the religious right.
Of course, we know it’s indefensible.
justyouandi
He served two terms as senator from Pennsylvania.
Kangol2
Pennsylvania voters let him hang around the US Senate for far too long (2 terms) much as CNN has in letting him serve as a right-wing contributor. He’s added nothing for quite some time.
jsmu
@justyouandi And? Racist shite Thurmond was in the Senate for decades.
GayEGO
His name should be changed to Rick Sanitarium!
Essie
Well, I have never watched CNN (or any other cable news channel) so I’ve not had the pleasure of watching this particular racist. However, I do think CNN should, at the very least, SAY SOMETHING. I can’t believe it’s been four days and they have said nothing. And Ricky’s apology says nothing. It just reinforces how stupid he is if he thinks that is enough. Maybe he and CNN are hoping another scandal happens and all this is forgotten. They may be right. I mean, if Matty Gaetz is arrested . . . .
Fahd
Stopped watching CNN long ago. Let’s hope consequence culture catches up to Santorum, because everyone knows those Indigenous voices are not wrong in their criticisms and demands.
darklight413
Looks like maybe trump wasn’t all that wrong about cnn. I’ve just deleted their app. They have no standing for news as long as they allow this kind of racism and hatred to be spewed from their network. They have gone the way of faux “news”.
Thad
Please tell me you didn’t switch to Fox.
If Santorum had spouted this nonsense on Fox News, probably few would notice. Someone might roll their eyes and think, “oh, again.”
We do hold CNN to a higher standard, so this is news.
RyanMBecker
“They have no standing for news as long as they allow this kind of racism and hatred to be spewed from their network”
What Santorum said had nothing to do with CNN. He was not on CNN’s payroll when he said it. Had he said that as a CNN commentator, he’d get suspended immediately, and maybe fired. That said, CNN has fired people for speech outside of work. Two examples are Rick Sanchez and Marc Lamont Hill. They have also fired conservative commentators. But my guess is that they’ll keep Santorum. While I can’t stand him, I must admit that what he says was more ignorant than hateful.
scotshot
@RyanEBecker
Where have you been? That’s one of the more ignorant statements I’ve ever seen on this board.
jsmu
Wow. Imbecile much, little dRUMPfazoid?
manhandlemike
I knew there was a good reason that I don’t watch CNN.
tjack47
He is drowning in a sea of bloated, arrogant Christians who think like this. Some of them are so full of themselves and their branch of religion, they have no idea they are racist.
dave22
CNN is a newsworthy network. Allowing Rick Santorum to continue on this network lowers it to the standards of the FOX network. Is this what CNN wants to become?
justyouandi
There was no particular culture shared by the Native Americans. The different groups didn’t interact unless it was to kill each other and enslave their women and children. They weren’t good environmentalists. The reason they moved a lot was because they had destroyed the area they were living in and had to find a new place to live where they would do the same thing. Native Americans offered human sacrifices to their gods, and were known to participate in cannibalism.
That was their culture.
Are you serious?
So it is true .. the short yellow bus still operates. Simply ignorant. Not even worth telling you how wrong you are. Smdh
justyouandi
So try it anyway, Are you serious. But be warned, I have two degrees in History.
Den
“They weren’t good environmentalists. The reason they moved a lot was because they had destroyed the area they were living in and had to find a new place to live where they would do the same thing. ”
You seem a rather stupid man, and the “two degrees in history” is undoubtedly a lie.
ALL small bands of slash and burn cultures, and many who practice hunting/gathering or basic agriculture move their bands regularly. And in fact (you will need to access a dictionary to understand “fact”, hopefully you know how to use one), these practices increase the diversity and productiveness of areas well above that of a climax ecosystem. This is the case where such cultures/bands still exist’
AND some Native Americans created long lived settlements and large cities, both in north and south America. This is well established, and you would be aware of it had you actually ever studied history. Sometimes ecological changes and climate changes forced the abandonment of those cities, just as was the case in Europe, Asia and Africa.
As for cannibalism…yes it is repellent, and was practiced by a number of cultures throughout the world. However, the symbolic cannibalism practiced by Christians, as well as their fetish for pain and worship of a human supposedly created to be tortured and murdered is only slightly less primitive and repellent.
Damn you are dull!
justyouandi
Den, when there is a difference of opinion and the counter BEGINS with insults and name-calling there is clearly no chance of finding any common ground or of anyone actually learning something. Why are you so threatened by information that may challenge the narrative in which you seem to find comfort?
jsmu
Jeezusss f*cking KEERIST on a KRUTCH, you are impotent and moronic even for a RUSSKYTROLL! Point one: no one who has any degrees at ALL capitalizes the NON PROPER NOUN ‘history.’ Point two: Up your b*ll-less troll game or P*TANA will ship your worthless *ss back to Irkutsk.
Liquid Silver
Some got along, some didn’t. But they had no more idea of proper ecological management than Europeans at the time, true. That’s a modern concept.
Don’t bother trying to teach SJWs anything, though. Their “facts” are all in order and you won’t change them. No “native American” (there aren’t any; all are Asian imports anyway) ever went to war, or had a negative emotion until Europe invaded.
lillest2
Given the history of warfare, genocide, enslavement and oppression practised, without any break or mercy, for centuries by non-native American “cultures”, your comments are hypocritical beyond belief!! Just because a lot of paintings, sculptures, artwork and literature were produced in Europe, and by European settlers in North America, does not does not make those societies any more “civilised” – take Wagner as a case in point.
connorlarkin19
Soi-disant, you have my sympathy. ‘ I have 2 History degrees.’. Internet lying & vaunting BS are so Trumpling. Did you gradiate(sic) from Trump University. Bet you paid $35k for RE license, too.
justyouandi
jsmu, I’ll give you the point about my capitalizing the word “history” because I noticed that too after my comment was posted and wondered why I had done that, but everything else you said, whatever it was, just proves my point.
Mack
I watch NEWS, not opinion based shows. Those types of shows are for people who can’t make decisions for themselves. 99% of FOX is opinion based, seems that CNN is getting there too. I watch (when I watch it) HLN because it’s just news being reported as it happens.
Craige Veltmann
CNN is ALL about sensationalism and controversy!!! Ratings, Ratings, Money!!
[email protected]
The really sad part is he and millions of others like him really believe what he said.
johnnymcmxxx
I don’t want him fired. He will just slither over to FOX. He should stay @ CNN & be allowed to spout his racist garbage but CNN needs to take him on with force & facts in real time & demonstrate to all viewers how ignorant he is. He represents a lot of people in our country & we need to be aware of how they think.
Den
I cannot understand why CNN turns to someone like Santorum who lacks both intelligence and self awareness. If they actually want a conservative viewpoint there are actual conservative intellectuals out there who speak well and think well.
Let Santorum mingle with his white supremist and “silent majority” buddies.
They deserve him.
JPB
Santorum needs a history lesson – for instance – the Iroquois Confederacy created in the 17th cent. is often characterized as one of the world’s oldest participatory democracies, the confederacy is still relevant in the 21st century.
RandomGuy
It’s hiring hatemongers like Santorum then claiming it’s in the name of being “unbiased” that is losing CNN viewers.