RUSH: You know, this business of Obama and Ben Carson — I’ve got the sound bite coming — this whole business he doesn’t think we should have a Muslim president, it would be beyond the pale, and a lot of people are saying, “What difference does it make now?” And the reason they’re saying, what difference does it make now, is how would Obama be acting any differently? I’m just telling you what people are saying.

Okay, let’s say we have a president who’s Muslim, and the Iranians end up with a nuclear weapon, that would make sense, right? Uh, that’s happened, with a Christian president. Isn’t that amazing. We got a president who’s angered our number one Middle Eastern ally, Israel, made up of Jewish people. A Muslim president would do that, right? Ah, ah, it’s already happened. I’m just telling you what people are saying. My e-mail’s overflowing with this kind of stuff.

How about a president going to the United Nations, saying the future must not belong to those who slander the prophet. Uh, that’s already happened. Barack Obama did that. Haven’t we had a president who says the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard is the call to morning prayer? Uh, uh, already happened. Obama said that. So what difference does it make? Just telling you what people are saying. You watch, this is gonna end up with me saying it. I’m just telling you what people are saying out there, folks.

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RUSH: I would say the amount of heat and pressure that’s been on Trump since, when did this happen, Thursday night? Yeah. The amount of pressure that’s been on Trump since Thursday night most Republicans would have apologized by now, begged forgiveness. Trump, don’t forget, doubles down on this stuff.

But even so, there were people so worried before Trump issued a statement. They were so worried he was gonna cave. They were so worried that he was gonna apologize for this guy that stood up and asked him the question. People were really, really worried. And then Ben Carson comes along and says we should not put a Muslim in charge of the nation, and he’s not backing down. And the media’s kind of ticked off because in both of these instances your average, typical Republican would have already given in and apologized.

Let’s go to Ben Carson. This is Meet the Press yesterday. F. Chuck Todd said: “Let me ask you the question this way. Should a president’s faith matter, Mr. Carson? Should your faith matter to voters?”

CARSON: I guess it depends on what that faith is. If it’s inconsistent with the values and principles of America, then of course it should matter. But if it fits within the realm of America and consistent with the Constitution, no problem.

TODD: So do you believe that Islam is consistent with the Constitution?

CARSON: No, I don’t. I do not. I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that.

RUSH: Kablooey all over the media! Giant explosions could be seen, heard, and felt everywhere, and they continue to reverberate at this very moment. So outraged, the media. We have a nation filled with apologists for Islam, as you know. It’s been one of the most amazing things. 9/11 happens, militant Islam kills 3,000 Americans, and all of a sudden there’s a giant Islamic apologist group in this country that grows and grows and grows. Based on what, I don’t know, we better not make them angrier than they already are. We better stop doing what they’ve gotten mad at. It’s our fault or what have you.

And now people are saying that this just shows Ben Carson has no business running for president. He has no idea. This is so unprepared. This is evidence of his inexperience, no religious faith in this country. What he meant was, he was asked a specific question, and the question was, “Should a president’s faith matter? Should your faith matter to voters?” And his answer was relevant to the Constitution.

Chuck Todd says, “Do you believe that Islam is consistent with the Constitution?” If you look into Sharia law, you will not find any consistency with the US Constitution. Sharia law is the law which is used to behead women in Islamic countries who have been raped. Sharia law is the reason women in Islamic countries can’t drive. Sharia law is so inconsistent with the US Constitution Ben Carson could not be more right. And the question he was asked was in that context. “Well, do you believe that Islam is consistent with the Constitution?” Well, Sharia law isn’t.

So then the question becomes, “Well, are all Muslims believers in Sharia? Or are they not?” And that’s open-ended. In many cases you won’t know. It’s broad-based and it’s all over the place, but a lot of people think that it’s just too dangerous to flirt with. What are you chuckling at in there? I know I’m a naturally funny guy, but what have I said here that’s… (interruption) Yeah. The furor over this, I’m telling you, it’s totally manufactured and made up just like the Trump furor was. And the furor is not about this specifically, but it’s about giving the media another chance, or better stated, the media taking another opportunity to point out in their minds that Republicans are bigots.

What do you mean I’m about to step in it? (interruption) Yeah, I just explained it. (interruption) They do take me out of context. I don’t care. But McCain has said the same thing. Do you know that John McCain is being quoted as the guy to follow on questions like this. Remember, McCain ridiculed one of his supporters who made fun of Obama. (imitating McCain) “I’m not gonna put up with that, not at my rallies. Find the person that said that and get ’em out, kick ’em outta here. Find a prison to put ’em in, but get ’em out of here.” So McCain is loved and adored. McCain said no Muslim president. United States would be better with a Christian president.

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RUSH: By the way, I can go one better than McCain on this. How many times do you think you can remember, when I remind you of this, how many times do you remember various leftists saying we ought not ever have a Christian as president? Specifically an evangelical Christian. It’s always okay to object to that. Remember Pat Robertson ran for the presidency once? He used to run the 700 Club. All the people running, “We can’t have that in the White House, what if he imposes his religious views on the country?” Which meant anti-abortion.

But regardless, I don’t know how many of you remember this, maybe some of you don’t even know it, don’t remember it, but you gotta trust me here, this have been countless Republican presidential candidates who have been open and honest about their evangelical Christianity, and the media, various Democrats, commentators, pundits, have written gazillions of words warning everybody about the calamity that could happen to this country if we were to ever elect an evangelical Christian.

So here comes an evangelical Christian, for all intents and purposes, Ben Carson, “I don’t think a Muslim president, no, that’s not what we would want,” and all hell is breaking loose, by the same people who say, no, no, no, way to an evangelical Christian, even though we’re a Christian nation, as founded.

Here is the New York Daily News. You know it’s so bad, the New York Daily News may become printed only three days a week? They’re laying off people left and right in the sport — yeah, my old buddy Filip Bondy laid off, fired. Bill Madden, the great sports columnist and reporter for the Daily News. There’s not even a business section anymore in the New York Daily News. They might print on Sunday, and maybe three days a week. The rest of it’s gonna be online.

Anyway, back in 2007, GOP presidential candidate, John McCain, says America is better off with a Christian president, and he does not want a Muslim in the Oval Office. He said, “I admire the Islam” — that’s the quote, “I admire the Islam” — “there’s a lot of good principles in it, but I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, personally I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith.” And McCain was a media darling. McCain was a media hero. They loved McCain. He said the same thing Ben Carson said, he even went further, and it was not one assault on McCain for this.

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RUSH: What’s so bad about being a Muslim anyway? Why do you need to be exonerated from it? “Because he’s not one, Mr. Limbaugh, that’s why.” Thank you, Mr. New Castrati, but I’m saying why is it such an insult? I mean, if somebody mistakenly called somebody Jewish instead of Christian, it’s not gonna cause a state incident. “You know, I’m sorry, you’re not Jewish, you’re Christian.” Oh, oh.

You call somebody a Muslim, and you better retract that, man. You better pull that back right now. You better go out and set that person straight. Why? What’s so bad about it? It’s kind of like what’s so wrong with being accused of being gay? What’s so bad about it? I thought it was hip.

And then Ben Carson: “I don’t think we should have a Muslim as president.” So Republicans are being asked left, “What do you think of what Ben Carson said? Are you willing to condemn Ben Carson? Are you willing to condemn Donald Trump? Are you willing to condemn Donald Trump’s supporters?” In fact, grab audio sound bite number 26. This is this afternoon at the White House press briefing with the press secretary, Josh Earnest. A reporter said this to the press secretary, said, “Today a Muslim NGO called for Dr. Carson to withdraw from the race because of his anti-Muslim stand. He says that he does not believe that a Muslim should be president. What’s the White House reaction to that?”

EARNEST: Dr. Carson in many of the polls ranks second or third, so at least in the last few months he’s been quite successful in elevating his status in the Republican Party. And we’ve seen a willingness on the part of many of those candidates to countenance offensive views, all in pursuit of political support. And in the case of the Republican primary, in pursuit of votes. And I think what’s particularly disappointing to many observers, including me, is that we haven’t seen a significant outcry from all of the other candidates in the Republican race.

RUSH: See, this is how they do it. Did you notice the first thing he said in this answer? He puts up here, “A willingness on the part of many of those candidates to countenance offensive views.” You know, I can’t tell you how this ticks me off. This presumption that nothing the left ever says is offensive. Nothing they ever say is controversial. That’s just normal, it’s free flowing, it’s everything’s kind and decent and tolerant and all that. And these are some of the most intolerant bigots among us, people on the left.

There’s nothing intolerant about what Ben Carson said. It was simply an opinion. And I know where it’s rooted. It’s rooted in Sharia law. Sharia law runs counter to the US Constitution. It just does. It’s not even arguable. You know what it is, you can’t have Sharia and the US Constitution side by side at the same time. If you do, something’s gonna have to give. If you have Sharia side by side with the Constitution, what are you gonna do about women being able to drive or other rights that women have won, like voting, what are you gonna do?

So, anyway, that’s how the White House is dealing with it. “We just don’t like these offensive views, particularly disappointing to many observers, including me, that we haven’t seen a significant outcry from all the other candidates.” This is how they do it. A Republican stands up, says something not politically correct, it then becomes incumbent on every other Republican to denounce the guilty party. This is the one-way street, this false premise, these narratives here that the left creates that I’m telling Republicans ought have nothing to do with, just nuke and just ignore these narratives out of the box.