Fox’s Tucker Carlson didn’t just take the side of an extremist, discredited anti-choice group that tried to skirt the law by releasing an inflammatory video in violation of an injunction, he smeared the judge, suggesting he was the real law-breaker, and suggested viewers should flout his ruling. As for any abortion providers who might have suffered threats or violence – well, “pro-life” Carlson didn’t spend a moment on that real possibility.
Media Matters has the back story:
On May 25, the discredited anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress (CMP) circulated an unlisted link to a smear video on YouTube that was quickly picked up by anti-choice media. CMP was forced to remove the video from YouTube after a judge ruled that the footage violated an order barring its release, originally issued to protect abortion providers from threats and harassment. In response, anti-abortion media outlets that had previously promoted the footage re-posted the video and doubled down on spreading it—in spite of the court order—claiming YouTube had engaged in “censorship” and urging followers to watch it.
CMP founder David Daleiden is the subject of multiple legal actions for his role in producing deceptively edited smear videos attacking Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation (NAF). After CMP began releasing videos in 2015, the FBI issued an intelligence assessment that warned of an uptick in violence against abortion providers and clinics—a warning that was tragically borne out in November 2015 when Robert Dear allegedly killed three people and injured several more at a Colorado Planned Parenthood center.
As a result of these risks, federal Judge William Orrick issued a preliminary injunction against the release of any footage depicting NAF members or meetings, writing, “It is not speculative to expect that harassment, threats, and violent acts will continue to rise if defendants [CMP] were to release NAF materials.”
Carlson claims to be the “sworn enemy of lying, pomposity, smugness and group think” but he sure quacked like a pompous, smug and dishonest group thinker. He failed to mention either Daleiden’s disrepute or the threat to life he and his fellow pro-lifers blithely promote.
In fact, we found a Fox Nation denizen who repeatedly threatened to murder people seen in a previous CMP video. Fox didn’t even ban the would-be assassin. He'd probably still be plotting murder if we hadn’t alerted one of the would-be victims who got in touch with the FBI. The FBI, in turn, arrested him.
Yet Carlson pandered to the anti-choice group think.
First, he engaged in some inflammatory hate mongering toward the judge, accented by a large photo of him, just to make the demonization personal.
CARLSON: We’d love to show you the video but we can’t because of a man called William Orrick. He’s a federal district judge. He’s a massive contributor to Democrats. And he’s ordered the video be suppressed saying, in effect, the First Amendment doesn’t exist! And the video somehow violates a gag order he placed on the Center for Medical Progress in 2015. It’s an atrocity, it’s gotten very little attention and we are proud to bring it to you tonight.
The sole guest for the discussion was anti-choice extremist Lila Rose. As she was introduced, a lower-third banner read, “JUDGE ORDERS REMOVAL OF UNDERCOVER VIDEOS EXPOSING CALLOUSNESS OF ABORTION PROVIDERS.” A large, red “CENSORED” now appeared next to the photo of Orrick. Fair and balanced – so long as you want one side only!
Rose wasted no time amplifying the hate mongering. She accused Planned Parenthood of killing “little boys and girls.” She also claimed that the reason Planned Parenthood wanted an injunction was because “They’re very afraid of what’s on these tapes.”
Of course, Carlson ate up every word without a word of challenge. In fact, he further piled on against the judge, this time suggesting he had committed a grave crime against America: “In what country could a judge unilaterally decide you’re not allowed to show them and, in effect prevent us from showing them tonight? How could Judge William Orrick do that and get away with it?” Carlson asked.
Carlson could easily have booked a guest to explain the answer. The fact that we only got Rose’s point of view, plus Carlson’s, proves he wasn’t interested in the facts, just the propaganda.
But he wasn’t done with the group think.
Next, Carlson suggested viewers should flout the ruling – while pretending to remain disinterested.
CARLSON: I’m not advocating for this because I don’t think I can in my role as this host of the show but I mean if there was ever a time for civil disobedience, it seems like some might think this would be the time because you have an absolute right to say what you think is true and present evidence that it’s true. Is there any place for people who are interested to find these videos?
Watch “pro-life” Carlson’s reckless disregard for the well-being of living Americans below, from the May 31, 2017 Tucker Carlson Tonight.
UPDATE: This post originally contained a video that was a raw recording with extraneous footage. The correct video is now embedded below.