Longtime Fox News anchor Shepard Smith went a tangent over Kim Davis' release from prison Tuesday afternoon, accusing the Kentucky county clerk of a publicity stunt aimed at furthering her Christian beliefs.
"They set this up as a religious play again," Smith said during live coverage of Davis' press conference. "This is the same crowd that says, 'We don't want Sharia law, don't let them tell us what to do, keep their religion out of our lives and out of our government.' Well, here we go again."
Davis was jailed last week after repeatedly refusing to comply with the Supreme Court's landmark decision allowing same-sex marriages nationwide. A Rowan County judge gave her multiple chances to comply but Davis declined each time, citing her religious beliefs and "God's authority."
"When this started, this lawyer said he needed an accommodation for a woman who wanted one. She said she didn't want her name on a license for gay people," Smith said. "Now they've come up with one, they've let her out of jail... But it's not what they want."
He continued, "This is what they want, what you're hearing now and this what they're going to get: stirred up argument and a couple of days in the news cycle, and they're going to be able to make these claims."
Smith argued that the issue was settled in June, as had similar issues with race. "This is not unprecedented. They did it when they said black and white people couldn't marry."
The Fox News mainstay has dealt with his own issues regarding sexual preference.
In spring 2014, Gawker Media reported that Smith wanted to publicly announce he was gay but was denied the opportunity by network president Roger Ailes. Instead, Ailed bumped Smith from the prime-time lineup to his current midday slot. Smith and Ailes released a joint statement soon after, calling the story a complete fabrication.
"Haters are going to hate," Smith said. "We thought what this woman wanted was an accommodation, which they've granted her, something that worked for everybody. But it's not what they want."
Watch the full clip below: