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Recently, The Antagonist Magazine contributor Dr. Allison Wiltz made an appearance on the “Piers Morgan Uncensored” podcast to discuss the killing of a Ukrainian migrant on a city bus in North Carolina. Because the murderer was a Black man with a criminal history, racists and far-right punidts on social media instantly made the conversation about race, suggesting, as Charlie Kirk often did, that Black people were targeting white people all over the country while also vilifying so-called progressive criminal justice policies.
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Dr. Wiltz highlighted this by suggesting Piers Morgan was far-right, an assertion he took offense to. However, her contention also shone a spotlight on just how far-right bigoted ideas are being normalized across Western news media ecosystems, social media, and among the political punditry, when far-right commentator Christopher Rufo laughably suggested no one on the panel is far-right. Rufo’s assertion requires ignoring reality and their own past comments.
Aside from many of the problematic views about LGBTQ rights, particularly the propagandistic “boys in girls’ sports” narrative, Dr. Wiltz's suggestion that Morgan was far-right politically isn’t the first time he has been accused of holding such views. In 2023, he asserted that the word “women” is being “deliberately eradicated from common usage,” a suggestion with no basis in reality and an idea often heard from other prominent far-right commentators, including Rufo.
Morgan’s anti-Black racism has also been noted for years. In late July, Joy-Ann Reid exposed how he participates in racism after she agreed to appear on his show. Morgan accused her of race-baiting and did what most far-right commentators do by compiling pre-edited clips. He also brought up 15-year-old social media posts, while also putting together a panel that included Michael Knowles from the Ben Shapiro-founded Daily Wire, who promoted the blatantly racist “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory as recently as April during a speech at Yale.
Reid described the ordeal on her podcast:
“The interview … was a cheap, sleazy, very Piers Morgan pivot to take the heat off of the right and Trump and put it right where the right needs to be, on the Black lady,” Reid said.
Christopher Rufo
Rufo's statements throughout the years have been described as far-right by various institutions, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center. His rhetoric often focuses on culture war issues such as critical race theory (CRT), gender and sexuality in education, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Nearly all of Rufo’s content is based on misinformation, a lack of facts, and operates on stereotypes and complicit bias.
Rufo has stated that CRT "has pervaded every aspect of the federal government" and is an "existential threat to the United States." While the reality of CRT is such that it addresses how the legal system has often been weaponized throughout history against nonwhite communities, particularly the Black community, Rufo, like many other far-right commentators, ignores this fact and ignorantly equates CRT with DEI initiatives. He, like many others, highlights how the dangers of weaponizing ignorance have become so prominent in recent years.
Rufo has been accused by publications like The Washington Post and Snopes, among others, of misrepresenting the content of diversity training programs and course curricula. One example highlights how he manufactured a claim suggesting that a diversity consultant for the U.S. Treasury Department told employees to "own their racism." While the Wall Street Journal proved that the consultant said no such thing, it also reported that Rufo’s claim influenced the Trump administration in 2020 to restrict diversity training.
Rufio has largely been credited with reframing what CRT and DEI are, thus starting the culture wars against them in 2020. While Rufo, like Morgan, may be offended by being referred to as far right, the reality is that their displeasure comes from the notion that they are normalizing bigoted ideas and trying to portray themselves as more moderate conservatives.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has also noted Rufo’s association with a "dissident right" magazine that reportedly praises dictators, promotes racist ideologies, and attacks liberal democracy. Rufo has also suggested to his readers that they subscribe to a newsletter that is characterized by experts as an outlet for "scientific racism" (eugenics). He also promotes what the far right has often referred to as “colorblind equality” or “colorblind meritocracy.”
Rufo has also been found to have received funds from a far-right Hungarian government-funded non-profit that promotes extremist ideologies.
Conclusion
The other panelist on the show was Isabel Brown, who runs a podcast on the Tucker Carlson-founded Daily Caller. Brown is a former spokesperson for the Charlie Kirk-founded Turning Point USA. The Daily Wire is part of a media ecosystem that has been frequently accused of promoting ideas that are considered discriminatory, racist, and bigoted by many.
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Marc Lamont Hill was also on the panel, seemingly in an effort to provide some kind of objectivity and diversity of thought to Morgan’s show. However, that doesn’t alter his views in any way, as noted by Morgan, who continues to platform known racists and bigots while amplifying dishonest discussions based on far-right culture wars and white grievance that often lead to violence.
Morgan should not be surprised to be labeled as far-right, especially when presented alongside someone like Rufo and the many other bigots he platforms.
Dr. Wiltz’s Appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored
Thank you Dr. Mary M. Marshall, Alyssa Burgart, MD, MA, Mic, and many others for tuning into our live video.
I’m an independent investigative journalist who enjoys digging deeper into the stories you see on the news. Find my work at Unicorn Riot, The Antagonist Magazine, Latino Rebels, and more. I’m also on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and Threads. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a donation via Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App.
