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| Tucker Carlson Dissents as Right-Wing Media Weighs Trump’s Iran Strike | Tucker Carlson Dissents as Right-Wing Media Weighs Trump’s Iran Strike |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| It was the kind of full-throated critique of President Trump familiar to MSNBC viewers, yet transplanted to the heart of Fox News: Tucker Carlson, the network’s conservative 8 p.m. host, upbraiding the White House for its attempts to justify the killing of a top military commander in Iran. | It was the kind of full-throated critique of President Trump familiar to MSNBC viewers, yet transplanted to the heart of Fox News: Tucker Carlson, the network’s conservative 8 p.m. host, upbraiding the White House for its attempts to justify the killing of a top military commander in Iran. |
| “It’s hard to remember now, but as recently as last week, most people didn’t consider Iran an imminent threat,” Mr. Carlson said at the start of his Monday show, going on to mock Mr. Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, for saying intelligence agencies had identified an undefined Iranian threat. | “It’s hard to remember now, but as recently as last week, most people didn’t consider Iran an imminent threat,” Mr. Carlson said at the start of his Monday show, going on to mock Mr. Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, for saying intelligence agencies had identified an undefined Iranian threat. |
| “Seems like about 20 minutes ago, we were denouncing these people as the ‘deep state’ and pledging never to trust them again without verification,” Mr. Carlson told viewers, eyebrow arched. “Now, for some reason, we do trust them — implicitly and completely.” | “Seems like about 20 minutes ago, we were denouncing these people as the ‘deep state’ and pledging never to trust them again without verification,” Mr. Carlson told viewers, eyebrow arched. “Now, for some reason, we do trust them — implicitly and completely.” |
| At 9 p.m., Fox News made way for the pro-Trump commentary of Sean Hannity, who declared “the world is safer” after the death of the commander, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani. | At 9 p.m., Fox News made way for the pro-Trump commentary of Sean Hannity, who declared “the world is safer” after the death of the commander, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani. |
| But Mr. Carlson’s dissent showed how a right-wing media world that typically moves in lock step with the president has struggled to reconcile Mr. Trump’s surprise escalation with his prior denunciations of open-ended conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. | But Mr. Carlson’s dissent showed how a right-wing media world that typically moves in lock step with the president has struggled to reconcile Mr. Trump’s surprise escalation with his prior denunciations of open-ended conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. |
| In an interview, Stephen K. Bannon, Mr. Trump’s former chief strategist, said that he and other supporters of the president were still hunting for an effective defense. | In an interview, Stephen K. Bannon, Mr. Trump’s former chief strategist, said that he and other supporters of the president were still hunting for an effective defense. |
| “This is a very complicated issue, and the people who support President Trump, from Tucker Carlson all the way to Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham, are really trying to work through this,” Mr. Bannon said on Monday. “What you’re seeing now — live on television, live on radio — is people working through what this means.” | “This is a very complicated issue, and the people who support President Trump, from Tucker Carlson all the way to Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham, are really trying to work through this,” Mr. Bannon said on Monday. “What you’re seeing now — live on television, live on radio — is people working through what this means.” |
| Just as the political world was caught off guard by the killing of General Suleimani, so was the conservative media complex. | |
| As reports of the missile strike in Baghdad that killed the general emerged on Thursday, Mr. Hannity phoned into his Fox News show from vacation to offer vociferous praise. That same night, Mr. Carlson warned his viewers that “America appears to be lumbering toward a new Middle East war.” | |
| On “Fox & Friends” the next morning, the co-host Brian Kilmeade said he was “elated” by the news, only to be scolded by Geraldo Rivera, who pointed to false intelligence peddled by the George W. Bush administration to justify the Iraq war. | |
| “Don’t for a minute start cheering this on,” Mr. Rivera, a Fox News correspondent, told the hosts. | |
| Mr. Bannon, the former chief of Breitbart News, now runs a pro-Trump podcast, “War Room: Impeachment.” In the interview, he said he was concerned that a burgeoning conflict in Iran could threaten Mr. Trump’s support among “working-class, middle-class people, particularly people whose sons and daughters actually fight in these wars,” a group that believed the president opposed significant foreign intervention. | Mr. Bannon, the former chief of Breitbart News, now runs a pro-Trump podcast, “War Room: Impeachment.” In the interview, he said he was concerned that a burgeoning conflict in Iran could threaten Mr. Trump’s support among “working-class, middle-class people, particularly people whose sons and daughters actually fight in these wars,” a group that believed the president opposed significant foreign intervention. |
| “Why was it necessary to kill this guy and to kill him now and to exacerbate the military issues, given the fact that President Trump looks to us as someone who’s not trigger-happy?” Mr. Bannon said, paraphrasing a question he said he was hearing from independent voters. | “Why was it necessary to kill this guy and to kill him now and to exacerbate the military issues, given the fact that President Trump looks to us as someone who’s not trigger-happy?” Mr. Bannon said, paraphrasing a question he said he was hearing from independent voters. |
| “That still has to be explained,” Mr. Bannon continued. “I don’t know if it’s the president addressing the nation. I don’t know if it’s the president getting on ‘Fox & Friends.’ But clearly, at some point in time, the president’s got to walk through not just what his logic was, but also where he wants to take this.” | |
| Indeed, part of the problem for conservative media commentators was the lack of guidance from the White House, which has been slow to settle on a public narrative around General Suleimani’s death. | Indeed, part of the problem for conservative media commentators was the lack of guidance from the White House, which has been slow to settle on a public narrative around General Suleimani’s death. |
| In 2003, as the Bush administration prepared for a conflict in Iraq, White House officials took pains to build support among allies and media commentators for an invasion. In 2020, the Trump administration seems to be attempting the reverse: retroactively arguing its case even as the world grapples with the consequences of a provocative military strike. | In 2003, as the Bush administration prepared for a conflict in Iraq, White House officials took pains to build support among allies and media commentators for an invasion. In 2020, the Trump administration seems to be attempting the reverse: retroactively arguing its case even as the world grapples with the consequences of a provocative military strike. |
| Without providing specifics, Trump aides have referred to evidence from intelligence agencies about an imminent threat from Iran — the same intelligence agencies that Mr. Trump and his media surrogates have attacked for three years as biased and prone to fabricating evidence. | Without providing specifics, Trump aides have referred to evidence from intelligence agencies about an imminent threat from Iran — the same intelligence agencies that Mr. Trump and his media surrogates have attacked for three years as biased and prone to fabricating evidence. |
| The White House press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, is virtually unknown to the public, because she has not held a briefing in her six months on the job and rarely agrees to interviews outside of Fox News. An attempt on Twitter by Vice President Mike Pence to connect General Suleimani to the 9/11 attacks was quickly proved wrong. | The White House press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, is virtually unknown to the public, because she has not held a briefing in her six months on the job and rarely agrees to interviews outside of Fox News. An attempt on Twitter by Vice President Mike Pence to connect General Suleimani to the 9/11 attacks was quickly proved wrong. |
| Mr. Pompeo, dispatched to the major political talk shows on Sunday, argued that “appeasement” of Iran would increase the risk of a terror attack, even as General Suleimani’s death set off enormous anti-American protests in Tehran. That prompted an on-air rebuke from Mr. Carlson, who showed a clip of Mr. Pompeo on his Monday Fox News show. | Mr. Pompeo, dispatched to the major political talk shows on Sunday, argued that “appeasement” of Iran would increase the risk of a terror attack, even as General Suleimani’s death set off enormous anti-American protests in Tehran. That prompted an on-air rebuke from Mr. Carlson, who showed a clip of Mr. Pompeo on his Monday Fox News show. |
| “The risk of terror is also increased by bombing other people’s countries,” Mr. Carlson said. | “The risk of terror is also increased by bombing other people’s countries,” Mr. Carlson said. |
| Mr. Carlson, a longtime opponent of American involvement in the Middle East, has been more willing than Mr. Hannity to criticize Mr. Trump, though he has not called out the president by name in his recent commentary on Iran. After his Monday segment on General Suleimani, he introduced a five-part series, “American Dystopia,” chronicling urban decay in San Francisco. (The president later retweeted a Twitter post by Mr. Carlson promoting the series.) | Mr. Carlson, a longtime opponent of American involvement in the Middle East, has been more willing than Mr. Hannity to criticize Mr. Trump, though he has not called out the president by name in his recent commentary on Iran. After his Monday segment on General Suleimani, he introduced a five-part series, “American Dystopia,” chronicling urban decay in San Francisco. (The president later retweeted a Twitter post by Mr. Carlson promoting the series.) |
| Mr. Trump, for his part, has done relatively little so far to persuade the public. Aside from a brief and hastily convened TV statement from his Palm Beach resort, he has kept to Twitter, initially posting a caption-less picture of an American flag on the day of the Baghdad strike. On Tuesday afternoon, the president spoke informally to reporters at the White House about the strike. | Mr. Trump, for his part, has done relatively little so far to persuade the public. Aside from a brief and hastily convened TV statement from his Palm Beach resort, he has kept to Twitter, initially posting a caption-less picture of an American flag on the day of the Baghdad strike. On Tuesday afternoon, the president spoke informally to reporters at the White House about the strike. |
| On Monday, he granted his first interview on the matter to the radio show of the conservative host Rush Limbaugh, a Trump safe space with a direct line to the president’s political base. | On Monday, he granted his first interview on the matter to the radio show of the conservative host Rush Limbaugh, a Trump safe space with a direct line to the president’s political base. |
| “I hope this is the greatest year of your life, sir,” Mr. Limbaugh cooed to Mr. Trump at one point, while also venturing that the Suleimani killing had many Americans on edge. “People are being scared to death, their kids are being scared to death, out of their minds, that somehow this is going to start World War III,” he said. | “I hope this is the greatest year of your life, sir,” Mr. Limbaugh cooed to Mr. Trump at one point, while also venturing that the Suleimani killing had many Americans on edge. “People are being scared to death, their kids are being scared to death, out of their minds, that somehow this is going to start World War III,” he said. |
| Mr. Trump responded haltingly, as if testing out ideas for his message. “This should have been done for the last 15 to 20 years,” the president said, calling General Suleimani “a terrorist” and declaring that “our country is a lot safer.” Soon, he had veered into complaints about House Democrats and their views on Israel. | Mr. Trump responded haltingly, as if testing out ideas for his message. “This should have been done for the last 15 to 20 years,” the president said, calling General Suleimani “a terrorist” and declaring that “our country is a lot safer.” Soon, he had veered into complaints about House Democrats and their views on Israel. |
| Charlie Sykes, a longtime right-wing talk-radio host and a critic of Mr. Trump, said in an interview that the president could still draw on a reservoir of support among his conservative supporters. | Charlie Sykes, a longtime right-wing talk-radio host and a critic of Mr. Trump, said in an interview that the president could still draw on a reservoir of support among his conservative supporters. |
| “Killing terrorists has always been a great talking point for Republican presidents,” Mr. Sykes said. Mr. Trump’s campaign-trail opposition to the Iraq War, though, complicates matters. | “Killing terrorists has always been a great talking point for Republican presidents,” Mr. Sykes said. Mr. Trump’s campaign-trail opposition to the Iraq War, though, complicates matters. |
| “Trumpism is both isolationist and highly militaristic at the same time,” said Mr. Sykes, who is also a MSNBC contributor. “It’s not dovish — it’s highly militaristic, but it’s selectively militaristic. Being strong is not inconsistent with appeasing the North Koreans or Vladimir Putin.” He paused to laugh. “My head is hurting just thinking about this.” | “Trumpism is both isolationist and highly militaristic at the same time,” said Mr. Sykes, who is also a MSNBC contributor. “It’s not dovish — it’s highly militaristic, but it’s selectively militaristic. Being strong is not inconsistent with appeasing the North Koreans or Vladimir Putin.” He paused to laugh. “My head is hurting just thinking about this.” |
| On Monday night, Mr. Hannity previewed a potential new talking point for the president. “We can’t and won’t be going with boots on the ground in Iran,” he told viewers. “That’s not gonna happen, and frankly, it’s not necessary.” | On Monday night, Mr. Hannity previewed a potential new talking point for the president. “We can’t and won’t be going with boots on the ground in Iran,” he told viewers. “That’s not gonna happen, and frankly, it’s not necessary.” |
| Still, the situation in Iran remains fluid. On Monday, Mr. Bannon used his podcast to point out the contradictions of the president’s approach, noting, “One of the central building blocks of why he was elected president was to get out of these foreign wars.” | Still, the situation in Iran remains fluid. On Monday, Mr. Bannon used his podcast to point out the contradictions of the president’s approach, noting, “One of the central building blocks of why he was elected president was to get out of these foreign wars.” |
| A co-host, the former Trump campaign aide Jason Miller, leaped to the president’s defense, but Mr. Bannon interrupted. “You’re thinking like Republicans,” he said. “Where’s the populist nationalist movement in this? This is supposed to be a new day.” | A co-host, the former Trump campaign aide Jason Miller, leaped to the president’s defense, but Mr. Bannon interrupted. “You’re thinking like Republicans,” he said. “Where’s the populist nationalist movement in this? This is supposed to be a new day.” |