James Murdoch Rips Donald Trump's Response To Charlottesville

Alana Horowitz Satlin
Updated

James Murdoch, the younger son of Fox News co-founder and acting CEO Rupert Murdoch, came out swinging against President Donald Trump’s response to the recent violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The younger Murdoch is the CEO of 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Fox News. His father is a supporter and friend of Trump, who earlier this week was overwhelmingly criticized for equating white supremacists in Charlottesville to the activists protesting them.

James Murdoch, the CEO of 21st Century Fox, says vigilance against hate and bigotry is "an eternal obligation." (Photo: David Moir / Reuters)
James Murdoch, the CEO of 21st Century Fox, says vigilance against hate and bigotry is "an eternal obligation." (Photo: David Moir / Reuters)

In an email obtained by the Hollywood Reporter, James Murdoch told friends that Trump’s reaction was concerning.

“These events remind us all why vigilance against hate and bigotry is an eternal obligation ― a necessary discipline for the preservation of our way of life and our ideals,” he wrote. “The presence of hate in our society was appallingly laid bare as we watched swastikas brandished on the streets of Charlottesville and acts of brutal terrorism and violence perpetrated by a racist mob.”

And in a line that seemed to take on Trump’s claim that there were some “very fine people” among the white supremacists, many of whom carried swastikas and shouted anti-Semitic chants, Murdoch wrote:

“I can’t even believe I have to write this: standing up to Nazis is essential; there are no good Nazis. Or Klansmen, or terrorists. Democrats, Republicans, and others must all agree on this, and it compromises nothing for them to do so.”

Murdoch also said he was pledging $1 million to the Anti-Defamation League, an organization that fights anti-Semitism and which has repeatedly condemned Trump’s treatment of white supremacist groups. He urged friends to do the same.

21st Century Fox confirmed the authenticity of the email to The New York Times.

Murdoch’s response represents not only a break from his father, but of the news network that he oversees. Many of Fox News’ hosts have emerged as close allies of the president. A Harvard Study of Trump’s first 100 days in office found that the network covered the president more positively than any other major media outlet. Trump has in turn spared Fox News, which he reportedly watches daily, from the criticism he’s given most other major media outlets.

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Four-year-old Leo Griffin leaves an Aug. 13 Chicago protest that mourned the victims of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, the day before.
People hold signs at a vigil on Aug. 13 in Chicago for the victims in the previous day's violent clashes in Charlottesville.
People hold signs at a vigil on Aug. 13 in Chicago for the victims in the previous day's violent clashes in Charlottesville.
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People gather in downtown Chicago on Aug. 13 to protest the alt-right movement and to mourn Heather Heyer, who was killed in Charlottesville when a car plowed into a crowd of counterprotesters.
Demonstrators hold signs outside the White House on Aug. 13 during a vigil in response to the death of a counterprotester in the Aug. 12 "Unite the Right" rally.
Demonstrators hold signs outside the White House on Aug. 13 during a vigil in response to the death of a counterprotester in the Aug. 12 "Unite the Right" rally.
A woman writes "Silence is Compliance" with a chalk on the ground at Federal Plaza Square in Chicago during an Aug. 13 protest in response to the violence that erupted in Charlottesville.
A woman writes "Silence is Compliance" with a chalk on the ground at Federal Plaza Square in Chicago during an Aug. 13 protest in response to the violence that erupted in Charlottesville.
People gather in downtown Chicago on Aug. 13 to protest the alt-right movement.
People gather in downtown Chicago on Aug. 13 to protest the alt-right movement.
Ahead of President Donald Trump's visit, about 400 demonstrators on Fifth Avenue near Trump Tower in New York attend a rally protesting the violence in Charlottesville.
Ahead of President Donald Trump's visit, about 400 demonstrators on Fifth Avenue near Trump Tower in New York attend a rally protesting the violence in Charlottesville.
A demonstrator holds a banner reading "Only 1 Side Love" during a protest at Federal Plaza Square in Chicago on Aug. 13.
A demonstrator holds a banner reading "Only 1 Side Love" during a protest at Federal Plaza Square in Chicago on Aug. 13.
People gather in front of the White House to hold a vigil on Aug. 13, one day after the violence in Charlottesville.
People gather in front of the White House to hold a vigil on Aug. 13, one day after the violence in Charlottesville.
A demonstrator holds a banner reading "Hate Has No Home Here. Love Will Win" during an Aug. 13 protest at Federal Plaza Square in Chicago.
A demonstrator holds a banner reading "Hate Has No Home Here. Love Will Win" during an Aug. 13 protest at Federal Plaza Square in Chicago.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.