Tucker Carlson admitted he was wrong to praise Russia before its invasion of Ukraine, but turned it into an attack on Kamala Harris
Advertisement
Mia Jankowicz
Mar 4, 2022, 20:35 IST
A screenshot from "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on March 3 2022.Fox News/YouTube
Tucker Carlson explained Thursday night why his show didn't see Russia's attack on Ukraine coming.
He claimed that Kamala Harris being involved in pre-war diplomacy marked it as a low-grade issue.
Advertisement
Fox News star Tucker Carlson admitted on Thursday that he misjudged Russia's war on Ukraine — but placed the blame on Vice President Kamala Harris.
It came after Carlson broadcast a report by correspondent Benjamin Harris about the Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine, which prompted international concern about nuclear safety.
Carlson asked how his show didn't "see this coming."
"The situation appears to become more chaotic by the day, possibly even spinning out of control," he said.
"And that, we must be honest, is shocking to us. We've been taken by surprise by the whole thing — we're not the only ones who were, but we're willing to admit it."
Advertisement
In fact, US officials were warning for several months that Russia was poised to attack, closely tracking the buildup of troops around Ukraine and outlining an invasion scenario which more or less came to pass.
In Tucker's defense, he cited Harris being involved in diplomatic efforts in the run-up to the conflict for discounting the chance of anything much happening.
The fact that President Joe Biden's administration sent Harris was a signal that the situation "couldn't really be that serious," Carlson argued.
"We assumed that if things were dire, serious people would be involved in fixing them," he said. "We looked up and we saw Kamala Harris involved. And that reassured us."
Advertisement
Such high-level diplomacy is not Harris' job, Carlson argued, with trademark sarcasm. "Kamala Harris' job is to trot down to the Blue Room periodically to greet delegations of TikTok influencers, or to cut the occasional PSA for the children's dental health awareness month."
Public perceptions of Harris did indeed suffer during her first year in office — something Carlson underscored with a montage of her apparent flubs.
But as vice president, international diplomacy is clearly within her brief. Joe Biden carried out numerous high-stakes engagements with other countries while Barack Obama's vice president, including some in Ukraine.
Many commentators differed on whether Putin actually planned to attack, or was bluffing, during the buildup of military forces, despite US officials making clear they believed an invasion was all but guaranteed.
NewsletterSIMPLY PUT - where we join the dots to inform and inspire you. Sign up for a weekly brief collating many news items into one untangled thought delivered straight to your mailbox.