2005: President Bush Did Not Condemn Pat Robertson’s Call to Assassinate President Chavez

Pat Robertson was an American televangelist and political commentator. He ran for President in 1988, finishing second in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of George Bush. He did poorly in subsequent primaries and ended his campaign. Robertson then supported George Bush and his endorsement was a key factor in Bush’s nomination and election. Robertson was the host of The 700 Club, a Christian News and TV program broadcast live on the Christian Broadcasting Network weekdays with an audience of 1 million viewers throughout the US and worldwide.

On the August 22, 2005 broadcast of The 700 Club Robertson Called for the Assassination of Hugo Chavez:

•        “If he [Chavez] thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it….we have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come to exercise that ability.”

•        “Mr Robertson has set off an international firestorm by saying that the United States should kill the Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez. Vice President Rangel of Venezuela said: ’This is a huge hypocrisy to maintain an antiterrorist line and at the same time have such terrorist statements coming from the same country. Bernardo Alvarez, Venezuelan Ambassador said: ’Mr Robertson has been one of the President’s staunchest allies. His statement demands the strongest condemnation by the White House.’’  [1]

Calls were made for President Bush to Denounce Robertson

•        Nancy Pelosi said: “President Bush should censure unequivocally the scandalous call of Pat Robertson’s for the United States to assassinate the President of Venezuela.” [2]

Bush Did Not Denounce Robertson’s Assassination Call

•        “But even two days later, President Bush and other senior officials had expressed no real criticism of Pat Robertson’s call for the assassination of the President of Venezuela. Imagine, for comparison purposes, what the White House would say if a Syrian mullah had gone on Al Jazeera and called for the assassination of the President of the United States.” [3]

Chavez Denounced President Bush at the UN in September 2005:

·        Chavez accused the US of abetting “international terrorism” by failing to arrest Pat Robertson for saying the US should consider assassinating him.

   


1.New York Times, Robertson Suggests U.S. Kill Venezuela’s Leader, August 24, 2005

2.Calls for Bush to Reject Robertson’s Statements on Venezuela Intensify, Venezuelanalysis, August 25, 2005

3.New York Times, Judgment Malfunction, (Editorial), August 25, 2005

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