Tucker Carlson Claims He Was Only Joking When He Said ‘I’m Serious, Why Shouldn’t I Root for Russia, Which I Am’

Reed RichardsonNov 25th, 2019, 10:27 pm
 

Fox News’ Tucker Carlson is a serious political commentator, except when he is trolling the Democrats and the left with outrageous comments and sarcastic jokes, which are obvious because he prefaces them by saying “I’m serious.”

Or, that was at least the explanation Carlson expected his viewers to believe after his Monday night show, on which he earnestly said he was rooting for Russia in the ongoing war with Ukraine, but then 45 minutes later said was “of course” a joke. His brief clarification, tucked into the very last seconds of his show, came after his earlier comments had stoked thousands of retweets worth of outrage and derision online.

Carlson’s came in a discussion of the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry with former Hillary Clinton advisor Richard Goodstein, who pointed to Cognressoinal testimony that President Donald Trump didn’t sincerely care about corruption in Ukraine but only wanted an announcement of an investigation to smear potential 2020 rival Joe Biden.

“This is what a reality TV star does,” Goodstein said. “He doesn’t care about the substance. He wanted something announced not actually done.”

“We do care about the substance of it,” Carlson shot back. “And the substance of it is that Trump, for all of his sins and I will concede some of them, has never taken close to a million dollars a year from Ukrainian energy company to do nothing because his dad is the vice president. So, Hunter Biden did. I actually like Hunter Biden, but that’s totally corrupt and you know it. Why is it worse to ask about it than do it?”

“Because people are dying on the front lines” of the war between Ukraine and Russian proxies, Goldstein replied, which Carlson laughed at in response.

“Why do I care, why do I care what is going on in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia?” Carlson exclaimed. “And I’m serious. Why do I care. Why shouldn’t I root for Russia, which I am.”

“Because those of us watching — myself — think preserving democracy is important,” Goldstein replied.

“I don’t care!” Carlson shot back.

Carlson’s incendiary admission immediately ignited anger and pushback online.

Frum went on to predict that Carlson would attempt to wriggle out of his self-made rhetorical jam by  saying his comments about Russia were merely just a joke, despite the words “I’m serious” preceding his “root for Russia” comment.

And he was right. As Carlson closed his Monday night show by evoking Poe’s Law as his excuse in a clearly last-minute response to all the outrage brewing online.

“Before we go, earlier in the show I noted, I was rooting for Russia in the contest between Russia and Ukraine,” Carlson said. “Of course I’m joking, I’m only rooting for America.” He then claimed he was mocking the absurd obsession with Russia “many on the left have. Ha!”

Fellow Fox News host Sean Hannity then weighed in to throw Carlson a lifeline by making fun on his earlier Russia comments.

“Tucker’s a Communist,” Hannity fired back deadpan after Carlson handed off to him on air. “He just said so.”

Hannity’s zinger prompted Carlson to slap the table, cackle, and say: “I rooted against Russia when it mattered, by the way! Russia!”

“You said it,” Hannity responded, throwing up his hands, before referencing this website and its probable reaction to Carlson’s joke/not joke.

“There you go. Headline, Mediaite, have fun with it.”

Watch the videos above, via Fox News.

Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com

Filed Under: