Many on Twitter rallied behind Fox News Host Tucker Carlson after his comments about “Black Lives Matter” sparked outrage earlier this week.
The hashtag #IStandWithTucker trended Friday on Twitter, with prominent public figures voicing their support for the Fox News host.
“Tucker essentially proves the Papa Johns slogan every night,” Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz tweeted Friday. The pizza chain is one of several companies that reportedly pulled advertisements from Carlson’s show last week. “Better ingredients, Better Television. #IStandWithTucker” Gaetz said.
Tucker essentially proves the Papa Johns slogan every night.
Better ingredients, Better Television. #IStandWithTucker https://t.co/QEL3m9tHKy
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) June 12, 2020
“Rt if you stand with Tucker Carlson! Do not let the radical left silence him!” tweeted Brigitte Gabriel, founder of the grassroots national security organization ACT for America. The post was retweeted more than 20,000 times. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Responds To The ‘Mob’: Racism Accusations Are ‘A Way To Control Disobedience’)
Rt if you stand with Tucker Carlson!
Do not let the radical left silence him!
— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) June 12, 2020
The Left can’t handle the truth. Much less tolerate anything they disagree with.@foxnews should just let @TuckerCarlson have a full uninterrupted hour. https://t.co/r3Yusplo5M
— Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) June 12, 2020
I want to thank @TuckerCarlson for speaking unpopular truth. He said what needed to be said, what silenced leaders in the black community have been trying to say for decades. Thank you, I’ve seen these con artists attack my race all my life. Thank you for standing against them.
— Burgess Owens (@BurgessOwens) June 12, 2020
If @FoxNews drops Tucker, turn off Fox and don’t turn it back on. https://t.co/lWBP7cDfD7
— David Reaboi (@davereaboi) June 11, 2020
The backlash began after Daily Beast contributing editor Justin Baragona posted a clip from Carlson’s show Monday in which the Fox News host said, “This may be a lot of things, this moment we are living through, but it is definitely not about black lives and remember that when they come for you, and at this rate, they will.”
“Anyone who has ever been subjected to the rage of the mob knows the feeling. It’s like being swarmed by hornets,” Carlson added.
Tucker Carlson: “This may be a lot of things, this moment we are living through, but it is definitely not about black lives and remember that when they come for you, and at this rate, they will.” pic.twitter.com/HMP3q8WgbQ
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) June 9, 2020
Many decried the comments as racist. Singer Richard Marx tweeted that “racist Tucker Carlson” said on his show that “‘Black people are coming for you.'” George Takei, the actor that played Sulu in Star Trek, said “he’s not even trying to hide it anymore, is he?”
Tucker Carlson is not only a racist, but an idiot as well. https://t.co/yDOg8dvYto
— David Weissman (@davidmweissman) June 9, 2020
Wow, tucker carlson is such a Fucking racist https://t.co/KmDZkz4bYp
— Molly Jong-Fast???? (@MollyJongFast) June 8, 2020
Tucker Carlson is so racist he gets triggered watching puppets explain inequality https://t.co/CoHeGtrhuE
— Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) June 10, 2020
A Fox News spokesperson told The Washington Post that “Tucker’s warning about ‘when they come for you’ was clearly referring to Democratic leaders and inner-city politicians.”
The clip posted by Baragona, which has now garnered nearly 6 million views, didn’t include the beginning of the dialogue when Carlson made a reference to politicians.
“If Democratic leaders cared about saving the lives of black people – and they should – they wouldn’t ignore the murder of thousands of young black men in their cities every year,” he said before Baragona’s clip began.
“They wouldn’t out abortion clinics in black neighborhoods,” Carlson said. “They would instead do their very best to improve public schools and to encourage intact families, which we know beyond a shadow of a doubt is central to the life prospects of children.”
The viral Tweet that’s making the rounds of Tucker Carlson’s monologue tonight is about a minute long, and cuts out the majority of his speech. Here’s the full clip.
They don’t want you to see this. pic.twitter.com/7wqscy6oMu
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 9, 2020
Several companies said they would stop advertising on Carlson’s show, including T-Mobile, Papa John’s Pizza, and Disney, according to a CBS News report.
When asked on Twitter if Carlson’s comments were “the kind of message they support,” T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert said, “It definitely is not. Bye-bye Tucker Carlson! #BlackLivesMatter.”
