Fox News host Tucker Carlson triggered a fierce backlash on Thursday after he attacked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for saying she feared for her life during last week’s deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters.
Internet users slammed Carlson’s vitriolic monologue— in which he called Ocasio-Cortez dumb, narcissistic and “the Kim Kardashian of Congress” — as “vile and vicious.”
Ocasio-Cortez said on Instagram live this week that “it was not an exaggeration to say that many members of the House were nearly assassinated” in the violence incited by Donald Trump, for which the outgoing president was impeached days later.
“Many of us, nearly and narrowly escaped death,” she recalled.
Carlson responded with a diatribe, fearmongering about “vacuous little totalitarian morons” like Ocasio-Cortez wielding power. He also slammed the New York Democrat for thanking the police officers who protected Congress during the riot while at the same time supporting the call to “defund the police.”
“Narrowly escaped death,” Carlson sarcastically declared, mimicking Ocasio-Cortez’s description of the terrifying scenes that engulfed the Capitol.
“When the most harrowing thing in life is pass freshman sociology at Boston University, every day is a brand new drama,” he added. “Sandy’s heart is still beating fast. But she likes the cops now, despite the fact they’re white supremacists. What a difference a day makes.”
Twitter users fired back at Carlson, with many pointing out the conservative presenter’s own hypocrisy of dismissing the threat posed by the Trump-supporting insurrectionists while playing up the supposed danger to Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the white couple from St. Louis who last year pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters walking past their home.
Watch the segment and some of the responses below.
Deflection, disparagement, diversion – Fox’s Tucker Carlson has moved on to mocking lawmakers for fears of a mob howling for blood on their corridors, especially if it’s AOC https://t.co/SC50vednMe
— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) January 15, 2021
It’s also sheer hypocrisy – Carlson famously made a song and dance on his show about an ‘attack’ on his home and his family which wasn’t an attack, but now says @AOC shouldn’t be afraid for her life as armed mobs with nooses *actually* attacked and looted her place of work.
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) January 15, 2021
Ah @TuckerCarlson, someday I'll tell the whole story of what you said to me that night — what was that low-rent White House/Capitol dinner we went to? You didn't see yourself going to Fox back then. Keep persecuting @AOC and others. It won't end well for you. https://t.co/R4fEUEF73y
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) January 15, 2021
This mf practically cried on national television because someone graffitied his driveway https://t.co/89jumi5bja
— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) January 15, 2021
BTW AOC would never look once at Tucker Carlson except to give him the stink-eye.
— Jay Dean (@JayDouglasDean) January 15, 2021
There often seems no way back from the abyss. As @TuckerCarlson just doubles down in hate and stirs the pot of destruction. There must be liability and overwhelming penalty for @FoxNews
— TurnOntheSound (@Shoot4Education) January 15, 2021
Tucker Carlson mocking AOC for saying she was under threat of her life is absolutely intended to encourage his Nazi followers to murder her.
GG worked the same way. saying "this person can never be a victim" is a direct incitement to harassment and violence. https://t.co/SOaSwqw0KP
— Noah Berlatsky (@nberlat) January 15, 2021
Tucker Carlson attacking AOC is not journalism- and yet he is going to keep provoking unhinged lunatics that watch his propaganda posing for reporting
— Girl Named Nino (@girlnamednino) January 15, 2021
I think Tucker Carlson is in love with AOC. But like the playground child that he is, he doesn't know what to do with it, so he says she has cooties and pushes her down.
— Rob W. (@becomingamirror) January 15, 2021
Who wouldn't love to see @TuckerCarlson debate @AOC ? She'd wipe the floor with him. https://t.co/74RDXYT12J
— TTDaddy (@TallTallDaddy) January 15, 2021
@TuckerCarlson is as venal, corrupt and cruel a human being as we have on this earth. His abuse of AOC has put a target on her life and for that, and sundry other crimes against humanity, he should be held accountable
— Sass (@booknerd989) January 15, 2021
