Matthew Dowd: “Tucker Carlson’s position seems to be, it’s very clear, is the spread of autocracy around the world”
Dowd: “He says it because he thinks that is the way to have a committed, concentrated audience on cable news which provides him the millions of dollars a year of compensation he gets”
Published
Citation From the February 2, 2023, edition of MSNBC's Deadline: White House
MATTHEW DOWD (CONTRIBUTOR): It used to be a badge of honor in our country that you advocated for the spread of democracy around the world and now Tucker Carlson's position seems to be, it's very clear, is the spread of autocracy around the world. He's a fan of Vladimir Putin. He's a fan of the leader of Hungary. He's a fan of Trump. He's a fan of all of these autocrats. I guess Tucker Carlson, in his elite pampered place that he's existed in society where our democracies has delivered so much to him and the privilege he's had, is he sees no desire for other people around the world to experience that.
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I think if you could say one thing about Tucker Carlson, if you watch the arc of let's call it his career, it has been a pursuit of popularity and some ratings. Maybe I'm assuming this, but having listened to him from years ago, I don't think he believes anything he says, in all honesty. I think he says it because he thinks that is the way to have a committed, concentrated audience on cable news which provides him the millions of dollars a year of compensation that he gets. If he was to talk about democracy and he wanted to get the same audience, he would do that. I can't look into his soul and see what his real moral clarity is, but I think Tucker Carlson is reflective of the worst possible instincts of America, which is do anything for profit. If that means abandoning our democracy, if that means abandoning an ally, if that means watching the systematic killing of other people, so be it. I can live in my, again, pampered lifestyle and that's all I care about.