Tucker Carlson pretended he went to Donald Trump’s LIV (i.e. Saudi) golf tournament only to “find out what was happening” and was “not taking sides” but he discussed it last night with LIV International commissioner Greg Norman, ignored the 9/11 families’ objections and appeared not to have done a moment of research.
In Brian’s post last night about Carlson’s attendance at the Saudi sportwashing tourney, I added in (as editor) the language that it was #TraitorTucker Carlson’s latest effort to s**t all over America. On his show last night, Carlson dishonestly and repeatedly claimed he was just looking into the subject there, even as it couldn’t have been more obvious America-hating Carlson was doing everything possible to promote the Saudi sportwashing, without having to admit it.
Carlson began his softball interview with Norman by pretending (as he often does) to be just curious about the controversy over the tournament. As if Norman's explanation was the only information needed.
CARLSON: One of our unbending life rules is, don't get involved in things you don't understand. Don't take sides in arguments you don't really get. But we violate it all the time, of course, because sometimes something really interesting happens and you just have to kind of wait it and see what it's about. That's exactly what's happening in golf right now.
And as we should just say at the outset, we're not taking sides in this. But one of the biggest controversies in sports in many years is taking place between the PGA Tour and an upstart tour called LIV.
Now, we watched this happen. We didn't know exactly what to make of it, but it seemed interesting. Lots of drama in one of America's top sports, a sport with a storied history, so we decided to go to Trump Bedminster, the golf club, yesterday in New Jersey, and find out what was happening.
While there, we talked to one of the best golfers in the history of sports, who is now the Commissioner of LIV International. And asked him, "Why are you doing this exactly?"
There’s nothing wrong with Carlson going to the golf club or interviewing Norman. But Carlson’s duplicity was screaming from the camera as he deliberately ignored the objections of the 9/11 families, the National Press Club and decent Americans everywhere who think it’s disgusting for an ex-president to be helping the American-murdering Saudis rehabilitate their image and pretending otherwise.
Instead, “not taking sides” Carlson presented the LIV PR point of view, only, to his viewers as he feigned an inquiry into the controversy.
Carlson’s first question? What’s LIV’s business model, which has nothing to do with the controversy.
When Norman mentioned that the PGA Tour had thrown “a few obstacles” their way, Carlson outsourced the explanation to him: “Just for our viewers who aren't following, can you give us a sense of those obstacles?” he “asked” Norman.
Before long, Norman had segued from the “obstacles” to promotion:
NORMAN: Now with the fans, Tucker, we did a survey for nearly 12 months around the world asking fans from different tours what do they like and what are they missing? And they came up overwhelmingly more fan engagement, right? More fan experiences, and team sport, give us more teams and that's -- we built the model around that.
And our model, Tucker, is 100 percent built around the golf ecosystem from the ground up. So we're not trying to destroy the PGA Tour or the European Tour, we are there to work within the ecosystem to show that it is a big enough space, it is a multibillion dollar industry, right? Billions and billions of dollars in the game of golf.
Carlson outsourced more of the "inquiry" to Norman, this time followed by a #TraitorTucker Carlson seal of approval:
CARLSON: Why would sponsors drop golfers for participating in LIV?
NORMAN: Tucker, that blows my mind. And sponsors by the way, who spend billions of dollars in Saudi Arabia, the PGA Tour.
CARLSON: That's a good point.
Now, Norman may have a good point here. But if Carlson really knew as little on the subject as he suggested, he should have held off on the interview until he educated himself. But I'm willing to bet this was more Carlson playacting at neutrality in order to allow Norman to put the best possible spin on the Saudi view.
As if to prove my point, #TraitorTucker Carlson next asked Norman for examples of PGA hypocrisy. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that the PGA pulled its tournament out of a Trump course after the January 6 insurrection.
There was no end to Carlson’s build-up of Norman as the sole source of credibility.
CARLSON: So, what do you think that's about -- it's clearly not about principle, obviously. So, what is it about?
NORMAN: It's a monopoly. They just want to shut us down in whatever way they can, right? So they'll use whatever leverage point they can to shut us down, and they're not. They're not going to shut us down because the product is speaking for itself.
…
CARLSON: Why is it so offensive to some American golf fans that you're doing this? What are they mad about, do you know?
NORMAN: I don't know. I really don't care, quite honestly. I just love the game of golf so much and I just want to grow the game of golf and we, at LIV, see that opportunity. We at LIV see it not just for the men, but for the women.
Norman went on to slobber over Donald Trump and his golf course:
NORMAN: So he has been fantastic this week. He doesn't -- he is not putting himself out in front of LIV. He's embraced it. He has walked to the first tee.
He allows LIV to breathe, which I think is fantastic, and I've been with him every day and it's an opportunity for us because they are venues. The players love this place. It's a great opportunity for us to showcase.
I just went up there and I would just walk through with 600 members through in the Members Section of the clubhouse and you cannot believe the "thank you's" and the energy and "appreciate what you've done here" for this organization. I've never seen our boss so happy. You know, golf is this and we have done this for Bedminster. And we really, really do thank you for it.
Carlson didn’t even mention that the tournament was a flop.
Last night, the chair of the 9/11 Families United called out Carlson’s charade.
@TuckerCarlson did you just say re: LIV Golf you’re NOT taking sides? Great to hear, I imagine your producer will be calling me then to come on & talk about 9/11 families side???
— justterry (@TerrySStrada) August 2, 2022
@TuckerCarlson re: LIV Golf…when you only have ONE SIDE on your show, you ARE taking sides! Invite me on so 9/11 families side can be told, otherwise you’re not an unbiased show at all!!
— justterry (@TerrySStrada) August 2, 2022
CNN’s Brian Stelter reported:
A spokesperson for 9/11 Families United told me that the group reached out to Carlson's team to see if they would be interested in having a 9/11 family on the program, given Norman's appearance. But I'm told that Carlson never responded.
We'll see if Carlson and/or his producers are shamed into sparing a moment for them tonight.
Meanwhile, you can watch Carlson’s phony-baloney “investigation” below, from the August 1, 2022 Tucker Carlson Tonight. And never forget: Lachlan Murdoch and Rupert Murdoch bankroll every bit of the dishonest propaganda that spews from #TraitorTucker Carlson’s mouth.