Duggar Interview: ‘Improper Touch’ Not ‘Rape’, ‘Inexcusable’ But Not ‘Unforgivable’, Twitter Firestorm Ensues
On Wednesday night, Megyn Kelly of Fox News conducted the first interview with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar since the story broke that their son, Josh Duggar, had molested five young girls when he was a teenager.
It’s no wonder the Duggars chose to give their first interview to Fox News, especially considering in the midst of the media frenzy condemning Josh Duggar for his actions, Fox News portrayed the family as the victims in what they dubbed a “liberal backlash” against them.
Despite this, Megyn Kelly didn’t hold back the hard questions, and even called Michelle Duggar out on the comparison she makes between child molesters and transgender people, to which Michelle responded “I think that protecting young girls and not allowing young men and men in general to go in [women’s bathrooms] is just common sense.” The irony between that statement and what her son did seemed to be lost on her.
The interview began by Kelly stating that the program was “not intended for younger viewers,” and then a video played showcasing the Duggars in all their ultra-fertile, ultra-Christian glory. Once the recap was over, Duggar patriarch, Jim Bob, explained how everything started — with Josh confronting them in 2002, explaining that he had molested four of his sisters, as well as a babysitter, while they slept. Jim Bob said the following.
“This was not rape or anything like that… It was touching someone over the clothes. It was, like, a few seconds, and then he came to us and crying told us what happened.”
Added Michelle Duggar, “They [the girls Josh molested] probably didn’t even understand it was improper touch.”
When Kelly asked the Duggars whether Josh was a pedophile, Jim Bob denied the accusation, “Pedophiles prey on children. He was a child preying on a child.”
Are they hypocrites for their constant preaching about morals and family values? Jim Bob said the following.
“I don’t think you go up to total strangers and go, ‘Hi, my name is so and so and I want you to know what I did as a child.’ Every family has things happen in the family… Our son violated God’s principles by doing some touching that was terrible. But yet I think it’s been recently said that what Josh said was inexcusable, but not unforgivable.”
During the Duggar interview, the hashtag #Duggars was trending on Twitter, as the internet exploded with righteous anger.
transphobia //
So let me get this straight. Trans folk just trying to live are predators to young children but your son isn't? #Duggars
— cowboy cat (@skeletonpup) June 4, 2015
Are all the #Duggars kids still at home? CPS hasn't stepped in? If they were non-white those kids would have been in foster care weeks ago.
— Virgo's Gooch (@alexwill999) June 4, 2015
When you reframe sexual abuse as "improper touching" there's something really wrong in that household.#Duggars
— E_Joyce (@E_Joyce) June 4, 2015
I guess it’s okay to molest your own siblings and pray for forgiveness but being gay or transgender is an unforgivable sin? #Duggars 🐸?
— Kate (@katelandiaa) June 4, 2015
Even Montel Williams got in on the Duggar disgust last night, posting his anger on both Facebook and Twitter.
“There is something very sinister beneath the surface — these are people who basically said they thought they could be as preachy as they wanted because the records were sealed, these are people who seemingly minimize what happened in their home and essentially sent a message to their daughters to smile, nod and forgive. It’s eerily reminiscent of the ‘keep sweet’ mantra in Warren Jeffs’ FLDS.”
The second part of the Duggar interview airs Friday, where Megyn Kelly will speak with two of the Duggar girls, Jessa and Jill.
Did you watch the Duggar interview last night? How do you feel about it?
[Photo Credit: Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images]
