Tucker Carlson has criticised Donald Trump for encouraging Ukraine to investigate his 2020 rival Joe Biden in a rare break from his staunch support for the president.
Mr Carlson, who is one of Fox News’ leading presenters, fell short of backing impeachment in an op-ed on Friday but admitted that Mr Trump should not have raised the prospect of an investigation into Mr Biden and his son Hunter.
“Donald Trump should not have been on the phone with a foreign head of state encouraging another country to investigate his political opponent, Joe Biden,” he said.
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“Some Republicans are trying, but there’s no way to spin this as a good idea.”
Mr Trump is accused of using the call with Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, as part of a wider campaign to force Ukraine into investigating the Bidens that may have included withholding a White House visit and financial aid to the country.
Shape Created with Sketch. Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Show all 30 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam 1/30 Members of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, jeer at anti-Trump protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 2/30 A supporter dressed as Uncle Sam poses at Uncle Sam Reuters 3/30 A baby blimp rears its head amidst a group of anti-Trump protesters outside the president't campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 4/30 President Trump addresses supporters at the launch event of his 2020 election campaign in Orlando, Florida Reuters 5/30 Proud Boys have adopted Fred Perry polo shirts as their uniform and many members have the name of the group tattooed on their arms Getty 6/30 A line of police officers separate opposing groups of protesters outside the launch of President Trump's 2020 campaign launch Getty 7/30 A protester hits a Trump punching bag during a protest outside Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 8/30 Twin Trump supporters pose for a photo at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 9/30 A protester dressed as a caricature of Donald Trump stands outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 10/30 A Trump supporter faces off against a protester outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 11/30 A Proud Boy shouts across the police line at anti-Trump protesters outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 12/30 A Trump supporter poses for a photo at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 13/30 A Proud Boy jeers at anti-Trump protesters who are separated from the president's supporters by a police line outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 14/30 A man dressed as Uncle Sam poses at President Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 15/30 An anti-Trump protester faces off against a supporter outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 16/30 Members of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, jeer at anti-Trump protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch Getty 17/30 A child holds a 2020 US "dollar bill" that features Donald Trump's face at the president's 2020 campaign launch EPA 18/30 Anti-Trump protesters rally outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 19/30 Anti-Trump protesters rally outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 20/30 Numerous baby Trump balloons are raised in protests outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 21/30 A supporter wears a T-shirt depicting Trump as a hero at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 22/30 President Trump addresses supporters at the launch event of his 2020 election campaign in the Amway Centre in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 23/30 An anti-Trump protester calls for the president to be impeached outside the launch event for his 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 24/30 Supporters of Donald Trump face off against protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 25/30 A baby blimp rises behind a group of anti-Trump protesters outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 26/30 A supporter dressed as Uncle Sam poses at President Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 27/30 A member of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, holds a sign up outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 28/30 A supporter bears a Trump flag at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 29/30 Protesters hold baby Trump balloons in the rally outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 30/30 An anti-Trump protester holds a sign accusing the president of being a traitor Getty 1/30 Members of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, jeer at anti-Trump protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 2/30 A supporter dressed as Uncle Sam poses at Uncle Sam Reuters 3/30 A baby blimp rears its head amidst a group of anti-Trump protesters outside the president't campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 4/30 President Trump addresses supporters at the launch event of his 2020 election campaign in Orlando, Florida Reuters 5/30 Proud Boys have adopted Fred Perry polo shirts as their uniform and many members have the name of the group tattooed on their arms Getty 6/30 A line of police officers separate opposing groups of protesters outside the launch of President Trump's 2020 campaign launch Getty 7/30 A protester hits a Trump punching bag during a protest outside Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 8/30 Twin Trump supporters pose for a photo at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 9/30 A protester dressed as a caricature of Donald Trump stands outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 10/30 A Trump supporter faces off against a protester outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 11/30 A Proud Boy shouts across the police line at anti-Trump protesters outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 12/30 A Trump supporter poses for a photo at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 13/30 A Proud Boy jeers at anti-Trump protesters who are separated from the president's supporters by a police line outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 14/30 A man dressed as Uncle Sam poses at President Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 15/30 An anti-Trump protester faces off against a supporter outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 16/30 Members of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, jeer at anti-Trump protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch Getty 17/30 A child holds a 2020 US "dollar bill" that features Donald Trump's face at the president's 2020 campaign launch EPA 18/30 Anti-Trump protesters rally outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 19/30 Anti-Trump protesters rally outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 20/30 Numerous baby Trump balloons are raised in protests outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 21/30 A supporter wears a T-shirt depicting Trump as a hero at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 22/30 President Trump addresses supporters at the launch event of his 2020 election campaign in the Amway Centre in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 23/30 An anti-Trump protester calls for the president to be impeached outside the launch event for his 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 24/30 Supporters of Donald Trump face off against protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 25/30 A baby blimp rises behind a group of anti-Trump protesters outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 26/30 A supporter dressed as Uncle Sam poses at President Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 27/30 A member of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, holds a sign up outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 28/30 A supporter bears a Trump flag at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 29/30 Protesters hold baby Trump balloons in the rally outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 30/30 An anti-Trump protester holds a sign accusing the president of being a traitor Getty
The Fox News host co-wrote the op-ed for The Daily Caller, the right-wing website he helped set up, with fellow co-founder Neil Patel.
Mr Carlson added: “Our leaders’ official actions should not be about politics…
“Once those in control of our government use it to advance their political goals, we become just another of the world’s many corrupt countries.”
However, Carlson insisted that the president’s actions did not rise to the level of an impeachable offence and claimed it was “hard to argue” that Mr Trump should be removed from office.
Some political commentators have suggested Mr Carlson’s criticism of Mr Trump showed a pivot in conservative strategy for defending the president.
“This is a pretty transparent effort to provide a roadmap for Republicans looking for a way to publicly condemn Trump’s actions but still oppose impeachment,” Abby D Phillip, a political correspondent for CNN, said.
Mr Carlson has previously criticised the president and complained in 2018 that Mr Trump had not fulfilled his campaign promises.
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“His chief promises were that he would build the wall, defund Planned Parenthood and repeal Obamacare, and he hasn’t done any of those things,” the right-wing host said.
“It’s mostly his fault that he hasn’t achieved those things."
Nevertheless, Mr Carlson’s primetime Fox News show has been consistent in its support for Mr Trump.
As a prominent conservative political commentator for more than two decades, Mr Carlson has been accused of racism, climate change denial and spreading conspiracy theories.
In August, advertisers deserted his Fox News show after he called white supremacy “a hoax” in the wake of the El Paso mass shooting.
_mach on October 5th, 2019 at 10:41 UTC »
Make no mistake. This is still spin; they're spinning it as "a bad idea", and not "blatant crime".
usqview on October 5th, 2019 at 10:18 UTC »
Tucker stated that he thinks this was a pretty big mistake on Trump's part but not enough to rise to the level of impeachment. I think this is a strategy to try and sway moderates into a 'impeachment is not the correct path' view. I am not buying it and neither should anyone. This is clear abuse of the office and Trump needs to be impeached.
Kenmoreland on October 5th, 2019 at 10:18 UTC »
This article is propagating the Grifting Old Party's spin. Carlson is not really making "a rare break from his staunch support for the president," he is acknowledging that Dopey Don pressured Ukraine's president to help his reelection campaign, and arguing that it is not an impeachable act.
From the article:
If Dopey Don's actions were not impeachable, why is the administrative ation working so hard to obstruct the investigation?