MSNBC's Carlson: Gore is a “zealot,” a “bible-thumper,” a “wild-eyed religious nut” whose “religion is the environment”

Written by Josh Kalven

Published

On MSNBC's The Situation, Tucker Carlson described Al Gore as a “zealot” and a “bible-thumper,” also saying of him, “He's a wild-eyed religious nut. And his religion is the environment.”

On the May 31 edition of MSNBC's The Situation, host Tucker Carlson described former Vice President Al Gore as a “zealot” and a “bible-thumper,” referring to his long-standing position on the threat posed by global warming and his new documentary on the topic, An Inconvenient Truth (Paramount Classics, May 2006). Carlson went on to say, “He's a wild-eyed religious nut. And his religion is the environment.”

Numerous right-wing pundits have previously characterized Gore as mentally unstable or “insane” as Media Matters for America has documented. Ann Coulter has called Gore "clinically insane"; and syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker described Gore as being "one slice short of a loaf," though she subsequently told MSNBC's Chris Matthews that she wouldn't “go quite that far” in saying Gore “has lost it.” Matthews himself said that Gore developed "a psychological problem" after his defeat in the 2000 presidential election.

From the May 31 edition of MSNBC's The Situation with Tucker Carlson:

FLAVIA M. COLGAN (MSNBC contributor): And then my favorite, as we've talked about before, an Al Gore, who not only, I think, has the celebrity and fund-raising power, but I think when you see this movie, and you will get introduced to Al Gore again and he will seem like a visionary.

CARLSON: He is such a zealot.

COLGAN: Not only on the environment.

CARLSON: He is such -- oh, he is such a bible-thumper. I can't imagine. But you know what? It would be amusing, and I appreciate your courage in endorsing him. All right.

COLGAN: Oh no, now a Democrat -- now a Democrat has too many family values. And now a Democrat has too much faith. And God forbid --

CARLSON: No. He's a wild-eyed religious nut. And his religion is the environment.

COLGAN: And God forbid, he was right on the first Gulf War, he was right on this Gulf War, on Afghanistan, on global warming, on fuel efficiency. The list goes on.

CARLSON: Well, we'll save that for a future show.

COLGAN: I know that gives him a terrible resume.

CARLSON: No, I just want to congratulate you on your courage for defending the unpopular, but you know, maybe he'll turn out to be popular again. Who knows? Flavia Colgan. Thanks a lot for coming on.

COLGAN: Thank you so much, Tucker.