Meghan McCain jumped to the defense of "radical" Republicans after authorities arrested a man in connection with the burning of a Christmas tree outside the Fox News building early Wednesday morning.
No one was hurt in the blaze and firefighters were able to quickly extinguish it.
#BREAKING: The Fox News Christmas Tree is on fire in NYC pic.twitter.com/xfWdFgdQIS
— Leonardo Puglisi (@Leo_Puglisi6) December 8, 2021
However, the news of the blaze angered McCain, who seemed to suggest that destruction of property is evidence that Democratic politicians are as "radical" as the Republicans they've criticized.
In a since-deleted tweet, McCain said she doesn't "want to hear anything about how radical some of you believe Republicans to be" before condemning "lunatics running around New York City" setting the Christmas tree ablaze.
that's right, nobody can talk about "white supremacy" or "attempted coups" because of a minor property crime in midtown manhattan pic.twitter.com/FHfh63DHsq
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) December 8, 2021
McCain was almost immediately criticized, with many accusing her of drawing false equivalencies between the torching of the Christmas tree and the actions of much of the Republican Party.
McCain has continued to support the party even while its members continue to rewrite the narrative surrounding the January 6 insurrection.
Many perceive her comments as her giving them a pass on abhorrent behavior that includes, but is not limited to, spreading the "Big Lie" that the 2020 general election was stolen.
Indeed, no one can talk about Republicans enabling vigilantism, domestic terrorism, fascism and white supremacy because someone set a Douglas Fir ablaze. @MeghanMcCain is trash. pic.twitter.com/eZ01moCsuy
— Not Bill Murray (@StayWonked) December 8, 2021
Meghan McCain's last two tweets find her a) shocked at how radical Fox News has become, b) giving all GOP radicalism a pass because someone burned down Fox News' christmas tree. Incredible stuff. pic.twitter.com/iDuUSWXAkg
— Joe Berkowitz (@JoeBerkowitz) December 8, 2021
Arson is bad.
Insurrection is worse.
Meghan McCain is a moron.
All 3 of these things are true.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) December 8, 2021
Meghan McCain has completed her morph into an angry Christmas Karen. https://t.co/Skkmq5yu1F
— Arizona Political 💎 (@AZVotes) December 8, 2021
How did Meghan McCain turn out to be such a dick?
— Mayo (@MayoIsSpicyy) December 8, 2021
Meghan McCain doesn't want to hear anything about Republican radicalism while the Fox News Christmas tree is on fire...because planning an insurrection and burning a tree are totally the same thing.
— Rex Zane (@rexzane1) December 8, 2021
"I don't want to hear about Congressmen who attempted a coup and post murder fantasy videos about other members of Congress because a tree was burning."
Meghan McCain is quite possibly the most dense person with a voice in politics. pic.twitter.com/JSEN0SZhbb
— Devin Duke (@sirDukeDevin) December 8, 2021
So not much has changed since the repugnant moron Meghan McCain fled away from The View. She’s still a demented propagandist who believes an arsonist burning a Christmas tree is much worse than insurrection and KKK-GQPers in Congress committing sedition in an attempted coup. POS.
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) December 8, 2021
Authorities have identified the man alleged to have set fire to the Christmas tree as 49-year-old Craig Tamanaha, who has been charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, arson, criminal nuisance-endangering others, criminal trespass, criminal tampering and disorderly conduct in connection to the blaze.
They added that they do not believe the attack was "politically motivated."
The statement from authorities did not, however, stop the hosts of "Fox and Friends," who have devoted much of their coverage over the years to the alleged "War on Christmas" from suggesting it was just that.
"Someone did this to spoil our Christmas, but that’s not gonna happen,” co-host Ainsley Earhardt said, promising Fox viewers that the network would "rebuild" the tree and restore what she referred to as an "American icon."
