Biden Official John Kirby Has Just One Thing To Say About Tucker Carlson Firing and Russia At Briefing
White House chief national security spokesman John Kirby was asked by Mediaite to weigh in on Tucker Carlson’s firing in relation to Russia, and only had one thing to say about it.
Monday saw a stunning cable news bloodbath, as Fox News fired top-rated host Tucker Carlson without warning.
Carlson’s firing drew celebratory victory dances and insults from Carlson’s critics, while MAGA-world cried out with the anguish of incinerated Alderaan residents. But a fascinating subplot of the firing has been the irate and conspiratorial reaction from Russia. State media hosts called the firing of their “beloved” a “disgrace” and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov implied the firing was at the behest of the U.S. government.
Kirby held an on-the-record briefing with reporters via Zoom on Wednesday morning, during which Kirby was asked about his reaction to the firing, and to the Russian reaction. While Kirby said he hadn’t seen the Russian reaction, he volunteered a refutation of Lavrov’s insinuation nonetheless — but refused to weigh in on the firing himself even when pressed:
TOMMY CHRISTOPHER: I also wanted to ask you about the reaction in Russia to the firing of Tucker Carlson. Russian state television called it a disgrace. The foreign minister seemed pretty disappointed as well. I’m wondering if you have a reaction to their reaction, and if there’s like an equal and opposite reaction given the effect of the firing, possibly, on the spread of Russian propaganda here.
ADM. JOHN KIRBY: Those are two very different questions.
TOMMY CHRISTOPHER: Yes, sir.
ADM. JOHN KIRBY: …On your second question, I’m sorry I got going on that. I’m going to have to…
I have not seen the Russian reaction here to what happened to Mr. Carlson, but that’s not something that we would comment on anyway. This was, this was obviously not a decision that we certainly had anything to do with. It’s for the network to see to. And we certainly wouldn’t weigh in one way or the other.
TOMMY CHRISTOPHER: Like nothing, nothing about it? I mean, when he was on the air, he was spreading Russian propaganda. You don’t have any opinion on him not being able to do that now?
ADM. JOHN KIRBY: Again, I think it’d be much, much better for us to simply let the network speak to their decision-making. We’re. Well, I think I’m just going to leave it there. I think I’ll just leave it there.
TOMMY CHRISTOPHER: Thanks, John.
Watch above via Mediaite.
