Fox News Contributor Compares Christmas Tree Fire to Pearl Harbor

Fox News contributor Rev. Jacques DeGraff has likened the channel's Christmas tree being set on fire to Japan's Second World War attack on Pearl Harbor, which killed 2,335 Americans.

The Christmas tree outside the Fox headquarters in New York was set alight early morning on December 8, according to the New York Police Department. Craig Tamanaha was arrested at the scene and is the key suspect in the incident.

A replacement Christmas tree was installed on December 9. During the ceremony, DeGraff said he would not be scared or bullied by people wishing ill on him and would continue to be led by faith.

DeGraff's speech was posted on social media and has already been viewed over 500,000 times on Twitter.

Degraff said: "Somebody asked me 'why are you here?' I am here because these colors don't run.

"80 years ago, this week, they tried to extinguish the darkness at a place called Pearl Harbor. We didn't fold then and we won't fold now.

"This is because we have come this far by faith. In our tradition, we say this little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.

"The red, the white and the blue and the light of America, we are going to let it shine.

"So we go to the throne of grace together, our father and our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we come before your throne as humbly as we know how to say thank you.

"We remember the reason for the season and our faith. We have a faith that the fire could not incinerate.

"We have a faith that bullies cannot frighten away, we have a faith that madmen cannot terrorize us on. We come to say thank you and Merry Christmas.

"We ask that you would bless the greatest country on the planet,
we ask that you would keep us and bless us.

"God bless America and together the best is yet to come and the men and the women who love God said, Amen."

After the original tree was set on fire, Fox News sent a memo to its workers inviting them to come to a ceremony for a replacement.

The memo read: "After our All-American Christmas Tree was set on fire by an arsonist this morning, we have planned for a new tree to be rebuilt and installed by Thursday afternoon on FOX Square as a sign of resilience and hope in the face of a horrible act.

"We will be lighting the new tree live on the air during the first block of The Five on Thursday and Lawrence Jones and Abby Horonacek (who led the original tree lighting last week) will be doing the honors once again.

"For those of you working in the office, everyone is welcome to join us outside on Fox Square beginning at 4.30 p.m.

"We would also like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support from our neighbors around Midtown Manhattan as well as our colleagues throughout Fox Corp and New Corp. and our loyal viewers."