'Bending themselves into pretzels': Internet shreds Fox News' defense of Trump NABJ Q&A

A Fox News panel had the difficult job of defending Donald Trump against an onslaught of accusations of racism following an interview at a conference for Black journalists that ended with Trump questioning the racial identity of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris before getting pulled from the stage by his own team.

“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and she wants to be known as Black, so I don't know – she is Indian or is she Black?” Trump said in a video of the interview widely circulated on social media. “She was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she became a Black person.”

The conservative news network ignored Trump’s interview for an entire hour during Neil Cavuto’s broadcast before finally addressing the Republican presidential nominee’s inflammatory comments during its 6 p.m. panel discussion.

Panelist George Murdoch, also known as Tyrus, a former professional-wrestler-turned-commentator called Trump’s performance at the event, “phenomenal,” noting that Harris declined an invitation to speak at the event.

Read also: 'That's a lie': The 10 quotes Trump said to Black journalists that led to outbursts

“He showed up. The democrats didn’t. That should mean something,” Murdoch said.

“That reporter – I’m not going to call her a journalist –was there for one reason, to get talking sound bites for the Democrats – trying to get him to be mean and nasty – but here's the thing he called her out on it.”

Fox News pundit Harold Ford Jr. agreed, saying that while he was “not convinced” Trump handled the interview in the best way, “I give him credit for going.”

But Jesse Watters took things a step further, praising Trump for the performance.

“This was a brave move. Everybody sees this – Black, white, Hispanic - you're looking at a guy who talks straight, is real and is courageous.” Watters said. “This was a big moment for the campaign. This was a big confrontation in the summer and he handled it classy.”

The response didn’t land on social media, where critics jumped on the panelists' disinclination to criticize Trump.

“The Five are bending themselves into pretzels trying to justify Trumps disastrous performance,” wrote @donnajeanie.

“Astonished watching chuckef—s on The Five on Fox News praising him for the way he handled that interview. It was a horror show,” wrote @suckeffect .”Who could watch that and say: ‘That’s my guy!”

“Smug watters @JesseBWatters gets dumber by the day,” wrote @coco7777Rc. “you thought that was good .. the left media is gonna slice and dice that meeting video and make trump out to be a racist.”