White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway appeared on Fox News on the morning of October 29 and stirred up controversy by attributing the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre in part to late-night comedy hosts and comedians on television. Conway said these figures are partly to blame for the massacre since they freely make jokes about religion, which helps fuel anti-religion beliefs in America.

“The anti-religiosity in this country that is somehow in vogue and funny to make fun of anybody of faith, to constantly be making fun of people that express religion — the late-night comedians, the unfunny people on TV shows — it’s always anti-religious,” Conway said.

“These people were gunned down in their place of worship, as were the people in South Carolina several years ago,” Conway continued. “And they were there because they’re people of faith, and it’s that faith that needs to bring us together. This is no time to be driving God out of the public square.