Media accused of downplaying violence again during Atlanta riots: 'It was a night of rage planned by Antifa'

Critics are outraged at some media commentators, accusing major outlets of downplaying violence in Atlanta after anti-police rioters set fire to a police car and smashed windows. 

Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz joined "The Faulkner Focus" to discuss his reaction to one CNN guest who suggested "violence" may not accurately categorize the chaos that occurred over the weekend in Atlanta's streets. 

"When they're throwing bricks and starting fires, and they are creating terrorism, essentially, which is what they're charged with there in that community, guess what? They're somebody's wife or somebody's husband, maybe a dad or a son or a daughter is going to have to go out there and protect the rest of the community to do it," Chaffetz told Harris Faulkner. 

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"So don't tell me that this is some innocent thing that… violence is the wrong word," he continued. "Are you kidding? I'm glad they're prosecuting some of these people. They need to put some people in jail if they would do that in a strong way, if they're able to do that. Hopefully you can start to make a dent in this, but at least call it out. At least be one to say this is fundamentally wrong."

David Peisner, a CNN guest, came under fire on Saturday for his remarks on the riots, suggesting the gravity of the act is much different than "actual violence against humans."

"I think that there’s a real blurring of the lines in the use of the word violence. Is property destruction violence? To some people it certainly is. But, you know, this idea that breaking windows or other acts of property destruction are the same as actual violence against humans, it’s kind of a dangerous and slippery concept,’" he told CNN's Pamela Brown Saturday on "CNN Newsroom."

"You keep using these words ‘violent, violent, violent, violent'… The only acts of violence against people that I saw were actually police tackling protesters," he continued. 

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Six people were arrested in connection with the weekend's anti-police riots downtown, which evolved into mass chaos as businesses were trashed, and police officers were targeted. 

The riots began over the death of 26-year-old Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, who was killed by an officer last week after he allegedly shot an officer in the stomach and refused to comply with their requests. 

Teran's death came as protesters lined the streets in what is referred to as "Cop City" to protest a new law enforcement training center. But after Teran's death, the chaos escalated. 

Businesses were trashed, a police car was lit on fire, and windows were shattered as the city spiraled out of control. 

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"It doesn't have to be this way," Chaffetz said. "You can protest. That's about as American as it gets, but when you start using violence, intimidation, and you start destroying things that are paid for by taxpayers, those the people need to be taken out, taken down, prosecuted and incarcerated."

FOX Business host Dagen McDowell explained how the mischaracterization is actually "insanity" and an effort by the left to "redefine" the meaning of words. 

"Highlighting the insanity is the leftist, fascist movement, the effort to control words is an effort to change their meaning," McDowell said during "Outnumbered" on Monday. 

"So at every turn, you have to highlight what a guest on CNN says. And we also should point out it was CNN that had that banner in 2020 where a reporter in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was standing with a sit in front of a city on fire, and the banner said fiery but mostly peaceful protest, so they should know better."

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"And ABC has a tweet up," she continued. "It says, ‘Six people arrested in Atlanta after a peaceful protest turned violent.’ No, it was a night of rage planned by Antifa, so don't call it peaceful protest. They know better. But this is an effort by the left to change the meaning of language."

Mark Tepper, Strategic Wealth Partners CEO, accused the left of "empowering" the rioters, calling them out for the double standard during "Outnumbered."

"Democrats seem to be empowering these activist groups by giving them power so that they can go out and make their case," Tepper said Monday. "But at the same point in time… they've got a lot of confusion over what is violent and what is not violent."

"They continue to call these kinds of… protests, which I think are riots, they call these protests peaceful, but when you light someone's business on fire, when you light their car on fire, when you vandalize arson, all of these things are a full-on assault of people's personal belongings, their possessions, their businesses," he continued.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (D) also rebuked those claiming that the anti-police riots were not violent, saying that the charges against the six protesters arrested will include "domestic terrorism."