Tucker Carlson Blasts ‘Orwellian’ Covid Vaccine Passport Idea Because it Will Fuel Bill Gates Conspiracy Theorists
In a rare appearance on the morning show he used to co-host, Fox News’ prime time host Tucker Carlson made clear his position on a government-managed Covid-19 vaccine passport, citing HIPAA regulations and Bill Gates-related conspiracies. The moment came as a new fight is brewing in the political media realm — or rather, a very old fight with a new front.
At issue? Should the local, state, or federal government oversee the management of a digital “vaccine passport” that would allow citizens to prove they are safe to attend public events? Or is that a gross overstepping of the government’s role and susceptible to massive technology companies to exploit, as they have proven to with database marketing over the past decade or so?
While there is still grave concern about a potential fourth wave of Covid infections, amid dire warnings from public health officials, there remains great optimism that the pace of vaccinations will allow a return to normalcy, which would include capacity crowds at concerts, sporting events, even bars, and restaurants.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, on Monday, dismissed the idea of a vaccine passport, a clip of which aired on Fox & Friends Tuesday. Carlson then delivered his response.
“It’s completely unacceptable for the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply participate in normal society,” DeSantis said. “You want the fox to guard the henhouse? I mean, give me a break, I think this has huge privacy implications. It is not necessary to do.”
“Why is it left to the governor of Florida to say that?” Carlson asked rhetorically, before condemning the silence of GOP members of Congress. “Aren’t there 50 Republicans in the Senate? Why aren’t they standing in a line with Mitch McConnell in the center saying ‘No, we’re not doing this, I’m sorry, you’re not allowed.'”
Carlson followed by noting how HIPAA regulations keep medical records confidential, saying “You are not allowed to know if your kid has a sex change, and now your private information.—whether you are vaccinated or not —that information in the hands of the tech companies and that will determine whether you can participate in American life?”
He then argued that this is the exact sort of discussion that is keeping the “vaccine-hesitant” away from getting vaccines. “If you’re trying to calm people down about the idea of vaccines, and make them less vaccine-hesitant, and convince them it is not a conspiracy run by Bill Gates, then you won’t consider doing something like this.” Carlson was referencing a strange and ill-begotten viral conspiracy that the coronavirus pandemic was planned so that the Microsoft founder could implant a chip into vaccine recipients. That is not true.
“The amount of paranoia, and fear and distrust and social division this policy will engender is impossible to calculate,” Carlson concluded. “If you want to divide American society even further, would go ahead and do something Orwellian like this.”
The counterpoint Carlson’s opinion was on display on MSNBC the very same morning, as host Joe Scarborough, called out Trump supporters who he deemed “too stupid” to get a vaccination and argued for the benefits of a vaccine passport.
Watch above via Fox News.
