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Ben Smith Asks Tucker If He’s Racist. He Responds With Just 4 Words

[Twitter Screenshot Semafor]

Brianna Lyman News and Commentary Writer
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Daily Caller co-founder and Fox News host Tucker Carlson shut down Semafor co-founder and former New York Times columnist Ben Smith’s allegations of racism during a Thursday panel.

Speaking at Semafor, Smith questioned Carlson on whether not he believes in white supremacy.

“You spend a lot of time laughing about labels that are thrown at you: racist, white supremacist, host of the most racist show in the history of cable television. I’d rather not ask you about the labels but hopefully give you an opportunity to talk about what you believe,” Smith said. “Do you believe white people are superior to other races?”

“No, of course not,” Carlson responded laughing.

Smith then cut Carlson off and said he wanted to reframe the question.

“Do you think white people have some claim on America that people of others races don’t?” Smith asked.

“Of course not. First of all, I’m a Christian so I believe God made everybody with value in His eyes. The essential value of every person is the same,” Carlson said.

WATCH: 1:08:00

“But the idea that I harbor some sort of deep racial animus is like, I think there are a lot of criticisms you can level at me. Sometimes I overstate the case, I get pissed, I can be nasty,” Carlson said before explaining that people could search his texts and records and would find no instance of him being racist.

“One hundred percent of the people who I am mad at are well-educated white liberals. In my mind, the sort of archetype of the person I don’t like is like a 38-year-old female white lawyer with a barren personal life,” Carlson said. “That’s who yells at me on airplanes, and for these people to say ‘you’re racist,’ no! I hate you! I’m not mad at black people, what are you talking about? I dislike you, you’re horrible,” he laughed.

Smith then interjected and played a clip from Carlson talking about the Great Replacement Theory and “legacy Americans.”

“What’s a legacy American?” Smith asked, appearing to try and stump Carlson.

“People who were born here. Black people, white people, Hispanic people, Asian people. People who are citizens, people who participate generationally in our system. A lot of them don’t buy the program of the modern Democratic Party because it doesn’t serve them,” Carlson explained.

Smith then questioned whether Carlson had “empathy” for first-generation Americans who hear Carlson speak about “legacy Americans.” Carlson responded no, saying 30-second clips do not define his thought process and should not be used by individuals to cast judgment on him.

“I believe that people are not the sum total of their genetics,” he added.

Smith then alleged Carlson has worked with white supremacists, with Carlson forcefully denying the allegations.

“I’ve never had a white supremacist work for me. I don’t think I’ve ever talked to a white supremacist.”

Smith then referenced the “legacy” clip once more, calling it “disturbing” because neo-Nazis allegedly use the same language, leading Carlson to then denounce Nazism.

Carlson called Smith “a propagandist and not a journalist” for his comments.

Liberals claiming Carlson inspired the Buffalo supermarket shooter called for him to be censored. The shooter posted a lengthy manifesto online before carrying out the deadly shooting. There was not a single mention of Carlson in the manifesto, which claimed that whites are being replaced throughout the nation.

Carlson discussed the theory in 2021 in relation to elections and voting. He cited a 2015 clip from then-Vice President Joe Biden saying that “it’s a great source of our strength” for white people to make up less than half of the American population in coming years. (RELATED: FLASHBACK: Times The Media And Democrats Openly Cheered ‘Replacement Theory,’ Which They Now Call Racist)

“The policy is called the great replacement, the replacement of legacy Americans with more obedient people from far away countries,” Carlson said in September 2021. “They brag about it all the time, but if you dare to say it’s happening, they will scream at you with maximum hysteria.”

“Everyone wants to make a racial issue out of it, oh white replacement. No, this is a voting rights question. I have less political power because they are importing a brand-new electorate. Why should I sit back and take that?” Carlson said in April 2021.