Fox News host Tucker Carlson has come under fire for saying that the idea that white supremacy exists is a “hoax.”
Speaking just days after a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, that appears to have been motivated by racism against Hispanic people, Carlson said that the idea of white supremacy “is a hoax.” The shooter left a rambling explanation of his actions that used a lot of the same language that the far-right and Donald Trump use to denounce immigration.
“Just like the Russia hoax. It’s a conspiracy theory used to divide the country and keep a hold on power.”
He credited Trump for denouncing white supremacy – something that Trump, who watches Carlson’s show, probably appreciated – but then said that “the whole thing is a lie.”
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Related: Tucker Carlson hates LGBTQ people. But he’ll defend a child molester.
“If you were to assemble a list, a hierarchy of concerns, problems this country has, where would white supremacy be on the list?” Carlson, who is white, asked. “Right up there with Russia probably. It’s actually not a real problem in America.”
Carlson then interviewed conservative columnist Victor Davis Hanson, who said that he has met “not one person” who is a white supremacist, even though he was literally talking with Tucker Carlson.
“I don’t—I mean, [Democrats] are making this up, and it’s a talking point which they are using to help them in this election cycle, obviously, because Russia died.”
CNN’s Don Lemon called Carlson’s statements “the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard.”
.@donlemon just played the video of Tucker Carlson claiming white supremacy is "not a real problem" in America and "a hoax" and asked "is that not the dumbest thing you've ever heard"? pic.twitter.com/Uu67TdmIh7
— jordan (@JordanUhl) August 7, 2019
And the segment caused uproar online.
white supremacy is definitely a hoax, as white supremacist tucker carlson says. oh by the way, here is a recreation of the room where george washington, the first president of the united states, had the black people he owned sleep every night pic.twitter.com/Oi5XfmVwxm
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) August 7, 2019
Tucker Carlson saying there aren’t enough white supremacists in America to fill a football stadium is totally inconsistent with Trump bragging about the size of his rallies.
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) August 7, 2019
After 22 people were killed by a white supremacist in El Paso, Tucker Carlson of Fox News announces that white supremacy is all just "a hoax." https://t.co/iZYGwnDJeP
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) August 7, 2019
And some people are looking at his sponsors.
Here's Tucker Carlson saying that "white supremacy is a hoax" much like Russian interference in the election is a hoax.
Are we boycotting his advertisers, @slpng_giants?
Like @USAA? I mean, why advertise on Fox?#wednesdaywisdom #wednesdaythoughts— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) August 7, 2019
RACIST White supremacist Tucker Hoax Carlson#BoycottTuckerCarlson’s advertisers:
MyPillow
Elite Singles
StarKist
Tecovas
Super Beta Prostate
Jenny Craig
PODS
Bausch & Lomb
RockAuto
Nestle
WeatherTech
Sandals
Reputation Defender
Aspen Dental @cspanwj
#ImpeachtheMF Traitor Trump pic.twitter.com/Qlcr4KjLNH— MICHAEL DOLLAR (@MICHAELDOLLAR) August 7, 2019
Last year there was an advertiser boycott of Tucker Carlson’s show after he said that immigrants make America “dirtier.”
“We have a moral obligation to admit the world’s poor, they tell us, even if it makes our own country poorer, and dirtier, and more divided,” he said. “Immigration is a form of atonement. Previous leaders of our country committed sins; we must pay for those sins by welcoming an endless chain of migrant caravans.”
Nautilis Inc., Pacific Life Insurance, and several other companies pulled their ads from his show, but it kept on going.
While his show has faced near constant criticism for its racism, his comments may have crossed an unspoken line this time.