![]() ![]() His popularity with a wide audience begs the question why other nightly news shows that attacked him didn’t raise the same critiques, without the nativism … ![]() Tucker’s willingness to challenge and mock ruling elites went alongside an obsessively nativist message that alienated viewers who might otherwise have embraced his populist perspective. While the Prospect does not dispute the charge that Carlson has been a bad boy, it casts the overall thrust of his worldview as progressive:īut Carlson’s insistent distrust of his powerful guests acts as a solvent to authority, frequently making larger-than-life figures of the political establishment defend arguments they otherwise treat as self-evident … A more fulsome iteration of the case comes from the left-wing American Prospect, which lionizes Carlson as a tribune of the workers. What if Carlson was a rebel against the Establishment? What if he was defying the pieties of his own side and even, in his own peculiar way, bringing us closer to a more just and humane world?Ī version of this concept can be discerned in Ross Douthat’s argument that Carlson advanced a “realignment,” in which conservatives grew more distrustful of authority as liberals became more reliant on it. But a more subtle, even flattering interpretation has also emerged. "I'm a talk show host I enjoy it," he said.What is, or was, Tucker Carlson? The prevailing view in the mainstream press is that he was a sneering bigot who peddled crude resentment in a cynical quest for wealth. Will politics be the next step? For a time, there were rumors that he could parlay his fame into a 2024 run for the presidency.Ĭarlson dismissed the idea with a laugh on conservative podcast "Ruthless" in January. In evidence of Carlson's influence, Republican Ted Cruz willingly subjected himself to a dressing down on the Fox host's show in January after being widely criticized by conservatives for describing the Januriot at the US Capitol as a "violent terrorist attack."ĭespite the political influence he wields, Carlson - who says he has never owned a television - lives far from the heart of the United States government, in a rural corner of Maine, where he usually records his show. ![]() The road to fame was long: Carlson previously worked at CNN and even found himself temporarily unemployed around his 40th birthday.īut Mercieca says he is now "uniquely powerful." She moved to France and never saw her children again.Ĭarlson was raised by his journalist father and followed in his footsteps after unsuccessfully trying to join the CIA. It is a lesson learned from what he has called his "weird childhood," marked by the departure of his artist mother when he was only six years old. The father of four seems impervious to criticism, saying in an appearance on "The Rubin Report" talk show: "You should only care about the opinions of people who care about you." The network's lawyers argued in a 2020 slander lawsuit that viewers knew to treat material on his show with skepticism - something not borne out by the many people interacting with and spreading his content online. But critics say the program could contribute to tragedies such as the racially motivated shooting that killed 10 people at a Buffalo, New York grocery store this month.īlue eyes locked on viewers for an hour, five nights a week, Carlson discusses current events on a show billed as "the sworn enemy of lying," and which promises to "ask the questions that you would ask - and demand answers." 'Great Replacement'Ĭarlson frames the issues he discusses as "they" versus "you" - "they want to control your thoughts," or "they call you a racist."įox News personalities including Tucker Carlson adorn the front of the News Corporation building in New York City, in March 2019 Drew Angerer GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File In broadcast after broadcast, the 53-year-old appeals to viewers' outrage and plays on their fears, propelling his show to the heights of cable TV, making him millions of dollars, and providing ample fodder for conspiracy theorists and racists in the process.įox lawyers contended in court that Carlson presents opinions rather than facts on his show, which launched in 2016 and today draws millions of viewers per episode. ![]() These are just a few of the claims made by the host of "Tucker Carlson Tonight." ![]()
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