In audio interviews obtained by MediaMatters, accused shooter Byron Williams says Fox News host Glenn Beck “blew my mind” with “the things he exposed.”
Williams is charged with allegedly opening fire on police on Interstate 580 in Oakland, California, while on his way to “start a revolution” by attacking members of the ACLU and the Tides Foundation. As we’ve reported, the Tides Foundation is a favorite punching bag of Glenn Beck’s, and he counts the group among his cabal of liberals aiming to bring socialism to America.
In the audio, Williams says that he looks at Beck “more like a schoolteacher” than a newscaster, and that he began watching Fox News just to see Beck:
And it was the things that he did, it was the things he exposed that blew my mind. Beck would never say anything about a conspiracy, would never advocate violence, he’ll never do anything like, of this nature, but he’ll give you every ounce of evidence that you could possibly need.
Williams also describes President Obama and George Soros as “one person.” Soros “is completely socialist,” he says. “So is Obama.”
He adds: “So now they’ve got Beck labeled as this guy that is trying to incite violence. And what I say is that if the truth incites violence, it means that we’ve been living too long in the lies.”
Here’s the audio:
More on Beck and Tides here. And MediaMatters’ full report can be found here.
Jillian Rayfield
Jillian Rayfield is a Reporter/Blogger for TPM, and started as a News Intern in May 2009. She graduated from Cornell University in May 2008 with a degree in Film, and worked as a Research Assistant for a market research firm in London in between.
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