Tucker Carlson: Trump’s Indictment Will Start a ‘Political Purge’
To Fox News host and G.O.P. kingmaker Tucker Carlson, former President Trump’s indictment by a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday isn’t just an attack on the politician he once called “demonic.” Carlson told his viewers that the charges against Trump were not just directed at one man, but are a targeted “political purge” against Republicans as a whole.
“The rule of law appears to be suspended tonight, not just for Trump but for anyone who would consider voting for him,” Carlson said. “This is what it seems to be. It is a political purge.”
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Carlson himself suggested there may be “retaliation from red states,” but his guests were much more specific.
In a conversation with comedian Adam Carolla, Carlson indicated his belief that Republican voters were being “pushed into a corner.”
“I feel like it’s to get them to react so that the government can now swoop in,” Carolla replied. Earlier in the discussion, Carolla asserted that “people are going to go out and protest. Somebody is going to do something stupid and then they’re going to fire up the DOJ, just like January 6th.”
Sports columnist Jason Whitlock, accused Democrats of “agitating for unrest” by targeting Trump. “I’m ready for whatever’s next, and I hope every other man out there watching this show, I hope you’re ready for whatever’s next,” Whitlock told Carlson. “If that’s what they want, let’s get to it.”
“There is a godless element in this country that does not care about fairness. They don’t care about the will of the people. They care about power and control. As you have spelled out this week, they think they’re God,” Whitlock added, referencing Carlson’s recent attacks against transgender individuals.
Shortly after, radio host Glenn Beck made similar comments. Beck argued that the charges against Trump were intended to foment violence from Republicans. “They wanted violence from the right from the beginning. They can’t wait [for] it. They need it,” Glenn said. “They want you to strike out. Why? Because then they can close the cage.”
The former president responded to the indictment with characteristic outrage railing against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (who he already has a revenge plan for) and deeming the country a “third-world nation.”
While Tucker and his guests warn of potential backlash from Trump supporters, the main voice calling for protests on the former president’s behalf is Trump himself. In the weeks leading up to the indictment, Trump called for his followers to protest — not necessarily peacefully — and threatened “death and destruction,” should he be indicted.
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