Joe Scarborough Goes Off on Fox News and Tucker Over New Defamation Suit: ‘Get Your Checkbook Out and Start Writing’
Joe Scarborough tore into Fox News and former network host Tucker Carlson, predicting they will lose the lawsuit Ray Epps filed against them for amplifying January 6th conspiracy theories about him.
On Thursday, Morning Joe discussed the defamation lawsuit Epps filed where he accused Fox and Carlson of ruining his life. The lawsuit bases this on the harassment Epps has received ever since Fox started airing Carlson’s claims that Epps was an undercover federal agent who incited Donald Trump’s supporters to besiege the U.S. Capitol.
As Willie Geist recapped Carlson’s conspiratorial claims against Epps and the resulting impact, he commented that “With this defamation lawsuit, I suspect [Epps] will be looking for some more expensive real estate.” Scarborough agreed, saying “Ray Epps is attacked by these far-right freaks and conspiracy theorists. He’s attacked for doing exactly what these far-right freaks claimed everybody did, which was ‘Oh, they just went up to the Capitol, it was just a rally.'”
Scarborough marveled at how Epps has been scapegoated as an “FBI stooge” because he was caught on camera trying to de-escalate the situation when the Capitol riot broke out. Scarborough contrasted this with Carlson’s attempts to whitewash the violent siege by portraying the mob as mostly harmless protesters and “sightseers.”
“[Epps’] life has been ruined!” Scarborough exclaimed. He then predicted that his lawsuit against Fox and Carlson isn’t just winnable, but easy:
You talk to politicians who have been attacked by people — I don’t want to say their names — certain people who used to work for Fox News. Their security had to increase, their lives were ruined. Day in and day out, here you have this guy, not a public figure. Let me say that again, not a public figure. Not used to this. The death threats, the security problems they had.
I’m telling you, if I’m representing Fox News, I’m saying, ‘Get your checkbook out and start writing.’ They’re going to have to do it again, and Tucker Carlson is probably going to do it again because this guy isn’t a public figure. It’s not going to be hard for him to prove defamation.
As Mike Barnicle summed up how Epps’ life as a private citizen was “damaged beyond belief,” Scarborough concluded by slamming the “insurrectionists, weirdos and freaks” who’ve painted Epps as a fed over his conduct.
“Shows just how screwed up they are and what valueless voids they are when it comes to patriotism.”
Watch above via MSNBC.
