A lot of viewers pay only half-attention to TV news as they get ready for work or do household chores -- and that demographic might have come away from "Fox and Friends" on Friday morning with the impression that Black Lives Matter and Anonymous had conspired with Islamic State militants to send soccer bombs to Donald Trump's family.
The Fox News program reported that Anonymous had made good on its promise to hack Trump and post his personal information online, including his Social Security number and cell phone number -- a revelation that host Ainsley Earhardt said was "jaw-dropping."
"This is ridiculous," Earhardt said. "You know, this is not how democracy works. You're posting someone's Social Security number?"
Trump revealed Sen. Lindsey Graham's cell phone number during a campaign appearance in July, urging his supporters to call the South Carolina Republican, and he posted his own number the following month on Twitter after Gawker published it.
"These guys are terrorists," said co-host Kilmeade of the Anonymous hackers. "Well, one day they're hacking ISIS, the next day they're hacking who they think is the enemy of America, and that is the Trump family."
Kilmeade warned that was not the only "attack" on the horizon, and he then reported on an anti-Trump protest planned for Saturday at New York City's Columbus Circle -- which he said was organized by a left-wing activist group.
"Apparently, this is an outfit -- it's a pro-soccer group," said co-host Steve Doocy. "It's called Cosmopolitan Antifascists here in New York City."
Doocy said the protest was scheduled for the same day as a pro-immigration rally in Phoenix, which he reported was organized by a group linked to Black Lives Matter.
"What they say on their Facebook page is 'Trump's policies threaten many of us in the black, Latino, LGBT, Muslim and other communities,' and they say come to Columbus Circle, which is on the West Side of New York City, and then we're going to march over to the Trump Tower to let him know that hate does not work," Doocy reported.
Earhardt grappled with the group's claims, saying Bill O'Reilly had addressed the issue of Trump's racism on his program Thursday night on Fox News.
"Many people are calling Donald Trump a racist, but he says you're not a racist if you are claiming that legal -- or illegal immigrants need to come into this country the right way," she said. "Just because you are against illegal immigration, doesn't mean that you're a racist -- it means you want individuals to get into this country the right way. Follow the rules."
Doocy said opposing illegal immigration demonstrated an interest in the rule of law, which Earhardt said was exactly the point she was trying to make.
"A country needs to have borders," Doocy said.
Doocy then stumbled into a segue about "one other hack of sorts," by which he meant a suspicious package and threatening note sent to the Republican presidential candidate's son, Eric Trump.
"They don't know exactly what the white powder was, but clearly someone is trying to be a wise guy," Doocy said.
Kilmeade said the incidents represented a troubling trend.
"It's just amazing," Kilmeade said. "We're just trying to show you nothing in particular except for a trend -- a trend is from the left, from the right, from the hackers, from the protesters. Donald Trump is under attack, and believe it or not, it's not just coming from the left. It is coming from the right. I mean, there are emergency meetings in Washington among people that have got to find some way to stop Trump."
Earhardt said the attacks show "how scared people are," but Kilmeade said the threats only reinforced Trump's supporters.
"One hundred percent," Earhardt said. "I mean, how far will people go to stop the frontrunner? This is the guy that people are going to the polls to vote for. Listen to the people."
Watch the entire segment posted online by Fox News:
