Juan Williams defended comparisons between Georgia’s election integrity law and Jim Crow laws on Wednesday’s broadcast of “The Five.”
Williams argued that while he believed some of President Joe Biden’s comments about the Georgia law rose to the level of hyperbole, the idea that white citizens could change the balance of power in elections without any black input was worth comparing to Jim Crow. (RELATED: Juan Williams Defends Fauci: ‘Even In Political Theater You Should Applaud People Who Are Looking Out For You’)
WATCH:
Cohost Pete Hegseth began with a clip of President Biden doubling down on his comparison, saying again that Georgia’s law amounted to “the new Jim Crow.”
“Does this hyperbole — which everyone is recognizing is patently false, they are not Jim Crow laws. Does it insult the real legacy of Jim Crow and isn’t — wasn’t he Mr. Unity?” Hegseth asked. “Isn’t it damaging to our country to mischaracterize something?”
“Well, I agree with you, Pete, I think it’s hyperbole,” Williams replied, noting that the legacy of Jim Crow including violence, lynchings and burning people’s homes. “That’s part of that legacy of how you demoralize and take political power and scare people to death.”
Williams then pivoted to explain how he believed the comparison might be accurate. “If you want to say that a group of white citizens want to take control of elections and determine outcomes, want to strip the secretary of state of power over elections, take, you know, have the arbitrary ability to take power from local election boards, that’s what the Georgia legislature, Republican majority, without any black input, just did,” he said.
“Now, I think they thought they could sneak this by, but in the aftermath of January 6th and the aftermath of Trump saying the election was stolen, I think corporations are very aware of what’s going on and nothing is getting, you know, pushed by them as if they can look the other way,” Williams concluded.