BLM co-founder storms out of interview with Dan Bongino

Hawk Newsome, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter in New York City, appeared on Fox News on Saturday night and was asked by Dan Bongino about comments he made this week when he told reporters, ‘There will be riots, there will be fire, and there will be bloodshed,’ if Mayor-elect Eric Adams reinstates the NYPD’s anti-crime units.

Saturday’s interview came following a speech Newsome made on Wednesday outside Brooklyn Borough Hall:

‘If he thinks that they’re going to go back to the old ways of policing, then we are going to take to the streets again. There will be riots, there will be fire and there will be bloodshed because we believe in defending our people,’ Newsome had told reporters. 

Bongino – who is a former officer with the NYPD and worked as a Secret Service agent under Obama – asked Newsome a simple question about protests and rioting on the street.

‘Do you condemn riots and the burning down of buildings after a police use-of-force incident you don’t like?’ Bongino asked.

‘Dr. King said riots are the voice of the unheard,’ Newsome said. ‘It is a natural occurrence that people can continue to be oppressed, they will lash out. That’s it.’

‘Do you condemn rioting and burning down buildings?’ Bongino responded.  

‘No. What I’ll say is, I understand when a police officer unjustifiably kills someone, why people lash out. I understand that completely,’ Newsome continued. ‘I’m not going to condemn, nor am I going to condone it.’

Bongino not happy with the answer asked again.

‘Isn’t that cowardly? “I’m not going to condemn it, but I’m not going to condone it — so I don’t want to take a stand?” … You seem to talk a lot of junk and then when I put you on the spot you won’t answer a damn question. Do you condone violence or do you condemn violence? You’re all over the place. Just condemn violence and burning of buildings down. How hard is it?’

Newsome attempted to make a counterpart as he compared the response of Black Lives Matter protesters to that of the U.S. Government’s approach following the 9/11 terror attacks. 

‘OK, so when Osama bin Laden attacked the World Trade Center, did you say America should deal with it peacefully?’ Newsome asked.

‘You’re not answering the question, man,’ Bongino jumped in. ‘That has nothing to do with people burning down businesses in New York City. You’re not gonna answer the question, Hawk…’

Becoming flustered, Newsome attempted a rebuttal. ‘I don’t condone it, I don’t promote it, but I will not condemn it.’

‘Man, that’s just cowardly. That’s just cowardly,’ Bongino said responded, at which point Newsome pulled out his earpiece and walked off set ending the interview prematurely.

‘You’re trying to bait me!’ Newsome said before the camera cut away.  

‘You’re trying to bait me,’ Newsome answered, before removing his audio wire and ending the interview.