Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson revealed Monday that his show obtained subpoenas from the Department of Justice (DOJ) sent to allies of former President Donald Trump.
Carlson said the show obtained subpoenas issued by the DOJ to investigate “any claim that the Vice President and/or the President of the Senate had the authority to reject or choose not to count presidential electors.” He argued any claim made by electors or elections is protected under the First Amendment.
“This show has obtained a subpoena from Merrick Garland’s DOJ issued in the past week. And what it demands is both unlawful and without precedent in American history,” he announced. “Now keep in mind, that any claim you make as an American citizen about electors, any claim you make about American politics period, is protected explicitly under the First Amendment. That’s our core freedom, it’s why we live here, it’s why we’re proud to be Americans. It’s why so many American serviceman died protecting our country. Those are the freedoms that they fought to preserve.”
Carlson pointed to Democrats rejecting the outcome of the 2016 election and former Democratic Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams’ false claim that she won the election against her opponent, Brian Kemp. The Daily Caller co-founder then argued the motive behind the investigation is unknown. (RELATED: Lawyer Says Dozens Of Trump Supporters Served With Warrants, Subpeonas Seeking 2020 Election Communications)
“But right now, according to the subpoena that we have obtained, Merrick Garland’s DOJ is demanding all communication from the following people on this topic and let’s be clear before we read their names that it is not clear what this investigation is actually about and that’s the most terrifying part,” Carlson stated. “What is this? On what grounds are you demanding my private communications with people? They never say.”
Carlson named several people who have allegedly been targeted by the DOJ, including Republican National Committee official Joshua Findlay, Trump attorney John Eastman and former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani. Attorney Jenna Ellis, New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik, and Trump’s current attorney Boris Epshteyn’s personal communications were all subpoenaed.
The DOJ has also subpoenaed former senior White House official Stephen Miller for calling for the court to cede electors if ordered to do so, according to The New York Times.
The host said the DOJ is targeting his show and several Republican leaders to silence their political opponents for asking questions about elections.
“So what is this about? It can’t possibly be about January 6, the fake insurrection, the only insurrection in history with no guns. The insurrection in which the only person shot to death was a Trump supporter. No. The point of this is to suppress political dissent. To hobble an entire political party and to keep any of these people from ever participating in American politics again. And by the way, the cost to each one of these individuals or to any person at whose house the FBI shows up is enormous,” he said.
“Ask anybody if the FBI showed up with guns at their home, what that’s like. By accusing these people of insurrection for asking questions about electors, by comparing them to Confederate soldiers,” Carlson added. “Merrick Garland’s DOJ plans to disenfranchise them, if not jail them. Really? So prohibit people from participating in American politics in the name of democracy.”
The Daily Caller reached out to the DOJ for comment on the matter.