MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan said he has a hard time believing reports that Fox News dropped Tucker Carlson after it uncovered a racist text message.
In the message reported by The New York Times, Carlson described watching a video in which three white men attacked an “Antifa kid.” He said the men were “dishonorable” because that’s “not how white men fight.”
Carlson also admitted he wanted them to murder the kid, then seemed to feel bad about that wish.
Hasan told MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace that “you can’t not be shocked by this stuff” but added that it’s “not that surprising” given Carlson’s history.
“He pushed the ‘great replacement’ theory, which is a neo-Nazi, antisemitic conspiracy theory,” Hasan pointed out, noting that the Anti-Defamation League called on Fox News to fire Carlson over it.
The network instead stood by him.
Hasan also noted other racist comments made by Carlson on the air.
“You just have to wonder: Was the Fox board not watching ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ for the last few years?” he asked, adding:
“It’s been five years, Nicolle, since the Daily Stormer ― the neo-Nazi website ― said that Tucker Carlson is our greatest ally and ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ is basically Daily Stormer: The TV Show. Not sure if the Fox board were paying attention when they said that five years ago.”
“I don’t think this is the full story yet,” he concluded.
Fox News parted ways with its star host last week just days after the right-wing network agreed to pay $787.5 million to settle a defamation lawsuit over lies about the 2020 presidential election.
It did not give a reason.
See more of Hasan’s conversation with Wallace below:
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