‘He’s Lying’: Ari Melber Shreds ‘Dangerous’ Tucker Carlson for Claiming Not to Know What Replacement Theory Is
Ari Melber ripped Tucker Carlson on Wednesday night after the Fox News host said he’s “not sure exactly what” great replacement theory is.
On Tuesday, Carlson claimed not to know what the theory holds, despite previously airing multiple segments about it. Melber pointed out the conspiracy theory originated in Europe and says elites there are seeking to import immigrants from the developing world to dilute the political power of White people.
Carlson has echoed this rhetoric in an American context, as did the White suspect in a mass shooting in Buffalo that killed 10 Black people on Saturday. The alleged shooter authored a long and racist screed ranting about this “replacement.” In his writings, the suspect claimed he was radicalized online. There is no evidence he watched Carlson in particular.
Melber played a clip of the Fox News host claiming he doesn’t know what replacement theory is and stated that “he’s lying” because, “He’s proven his knowledge of the theory by citing it knowledgeably, quoting it, and pushing it on air.”
The MSNBC host also took him to task over his reactions to different mass killings. Carlson responded to Saturday’s shooting by blaming the suspect’s alleged mental illness and not any particular ideology.
Melber played a montage of Carlson to killings committed by right-wingers versus left-wingers. The clips show that when a right-wing fanatic kills people – as in the cases of the Buffalo shooting, the Walmart El Paso shooting, and the Charlottesville car attack – the Fox News host tends to portray those incidents as one-off incidents that aren’t driven by a broader ideology.
Double standard?: @AriMelber spotlights the stark differences between Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s coverage of incidents of right wing violence and incidents of violence in which white individuals are victims pic.twitter.com/mu3BqmnxJH
— The Beat with Ari Melber on MSNBC 📺 (@TheBeatWithAri) May 18, 2022
But when the assailant is say, a Black person committing violence against White people – as was the case in the Waukesha Christmas parade attack and the New York subway shooting – Carlson usually frames the episodes as natural byproducts of modern day liberal politics.
In one clip, Carlson stated, “Maybe if the entire news media tells you every day of your life that America hates you because of your skin color, why wouldn’t we see more crimes like this?”
Melber reacted with disdain.
“Why wouldn’t we see more crimes like this?” Melber aped. “The framed rhetorical question is a very weak device. It’s simplistic, unimaginative, but in some cases, although it can be easily dismissed, it’s also quite dangerous.”
Watch above via MSNBC.
