On Tuesday’s episode of Fox News’ “Outnumbered,” contributor Katie Pavlich argued against Elizabeth Warren’s recent suggestion that the country needs to talk about the injustices of American slavery and the lasting impact it has had on generations of black Americans.
Pavlich’s argument against reparations to the descendants of enslaved people came down to saying the country doesn’t get enough credit for ending slavery:
They keep blaming America for the sin of slavery but the truth is, throughout human history, slavery existed, and America came along as the first country to end it within 150 years. And we get no credit for that to move forward and try to make good on that.
Fox's Pavlich complains that America gets no credit for ending slavery.
"They keep blaming America for slavery, but the truth is that throughout human history slavery has existed. America came along as the first country to end it within 150 years. And we get no credit for that." pic.twitter.com/d4deB0lrbB
That didn’t stop her from arguing that offering reparations to black Americans would actually make race relations even worse.
“If you want to inflame racial tension even more, start blaming people who have nothing to do with slavery for the sin of slavery,” she offered. “That is not fair, that’s not the American way, and we shouldn’t be doing it.”
Pavlich’s comments caught the attention of many, including journalist Soledad O’Brien, who called the Fox News contributor “a complete moron.”
Pavlich went to Twitter to walk back her comments slightly and to whine about O’Brien’s shade.
Should have said one of* first countries, from the point of founding. My argument stands, but please @soledadobrien please continue name calling as your argument and the smearing of America as the originator of slavery. https://t.co/95dhf2b9aR
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the date the U.S. outlawed slavery as 1863.
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