Tucker Carlson’s shady dealings were recently brought to light by The New York Times’ Ben Smith, who said that the Fox News anchor is a “wonderful source” for unflattering reports about Donald Trump. But keep in mind that he’s also a skilled deflector. Tucker evaded Smith’s query concerning Smith’s sex life in response to Smith’s (stated in the article) inquiry about whether Tucker had received the Covid-19 immunization (which he vilifies on-air). And now it appears that Tucker’s ardent on-air support for Trump (including the whole insurgency issue) may also be a mirage.
If recent uncovered quotes are any indicator, Tucker appears to have opportunistically climbed aboard the Trump train in an extreme way. Tucker made some comments to fellow Slate blogger Evan Smith in 1999, according to the Washington Post. The topic of discussion was whether Trump will run for president in 2000 as a member of the Reform Party. Smith labeled Trump “repulsive” at first, and Tucker agreed while doubling down, big time. Slate reports:
“I’d love to add something even meaner to your description of Donald Trump — he’s the sort of person I want to keep kicking once he’s down — but I don’t think I can. You’ve said it all: He is the single most repulsive person on the planet. What a wonderfully pithy, accurate sentence. Congratulations.”
Insider reached out to Fox News for comment, and received a statement pointing to a 2016 Politico editorial written by Tucker, in which he termed Trump “imperfect,” despite being a supporter of his populist policies. Tucker, it appears, has decided to ride that wave as well, and he has no intention of giving up anytime soon. Tucker Carlson Tonight was the top-rated cable news show last quarter because to his wild rants about UFOs laced with pro-Trump rhetoric. He’s gone completely off the rails, but why would he change his mind now?
