Tucker Carlson’s COVID-19 coverage would have surely gotten him booted off any responsible news outlet. But on Fox News, Carlson’s record earned him a reward of more airtime.
On a network filled with disinformation about the coronavirus, Carlson was a standout. Media Matters noted that no one else on Fox “attained the same level of consistency and recklessness in their coverage. The site compiled an extensive and yet “non-comprehensive timeline of Carlson’s deranged coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Here are just some of the examples:
Carlson defended Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s claim that grandparents would be willing to die for the economy. [Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 4/2/20]
Carlson called it “bewildering” that we are letting public health “experts” make decisions on coronavirus response. [Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 4/2/20]
Carlson praised anti-shutdown protesters in Michigan who terrorized and harassed Whitmer and other state officials over coronavirus mitigation efforts. [Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 4/15/20; The Washington Post, 11/1/20]
Carlson claimed the threat of the pandemic to rural America was “miniscule.” [Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 4/23/20]
Carlson insisted social distancing is ineffective in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and his guests echoed this line of misinformation. [Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 5/1/20, 5/5/20]
Carson attacked government officials for listening to Dr. Anthony Fauci, calling him an “elderly power-drunk epidemiologist.” [Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 5/1/20]
In mid-May, Carlson and frequent guest Dr. Marc Siegel insisted that there would be no “big second wave” of coronavirus infections in the U.S. [Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 5/13/20]
Carlson lied to his audience repeatedly about the effectiveness of masks, claiming “there is no evidence” that they prevent the spread of COVID-19. [Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 7/13/20]
Carlson accused then-vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris of wanting only “people of a certain color” to get the COVID-19 vaccine, telling his Fox audience, “It’s likely you never imagined affirmative action would be applied to life-saving medical treatment.” [Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 8/12/20]
Dr. Marc Siegel used Carlson’s show to argue that “it’s almost impossible” for people under the age of 70 to die of COVID-19. [Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 9/25/20]
Tucker Carlson claimed the vaccine distribution plan is “eugenics” against white people. Falsly claiming that the CDC was basing it's strategy for the vaccine distribution entirely on race. [Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 12/18/20]
Although Fox argued successfully in federal court that nobody should take Carlson’s comments seriously, the network subsequently decided it needs more of his “reporting.”
(Carlson image via screen grab)
Come to think of it, I hope some enterprising reporter is digging into how the Great Orange Lump was profiting from spruiking that particular brand of snake-oil.