ANALYSIS – We all know Tucker Carlson is a controversial conservative figure. And he likes it that way. Sometimes he is spot-on and highlights topics that are ignored or misreported by the establishment media.
Other times I've noted he goes down fringe rabbit holes and gets his facts plain wrong.
So, which is it this time? Is he lying about our “wokeish” Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin III, or did he get bad info from his sources? Or is he right about what he said?
Well, according to his former colleague, and Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin, Carlson was “100 percent” wrong when Carlson claimed Austin told Congress in a classified briefing that “we'll send your uncles, cousins and sons to fight Russia,” if you don't appropriate funds for Ukraine.
Carlson added his own spin to Austin's made-up words: “Pay the oligarchs or we'll kill your kids.” (RELATED: Steve Bannon Makes Dire Warning To Tucker Carlson)
However, as Griffin said, Carlson's comments were “100 percent not true,” and added that “acc to two sources who were in the briefings. Austin warned that it is not hyperbole to say Putin won't stop at Ukraine. If he enters NATO territory US troops could be called to fight; cheaper to fund Ukraine now.”
So, while the implication may be that if we don't stop Putin in Ukraine, we may have to fight him elsewhere in Europe (and that may in fact be accurate), you can't directly quote people falsely.
Barring someone openly testifying to what the Pentagon chief actually said in a classified briefing, we have a case of “he said, she said.” But based on Carlson's recent sloppy record regarding facts and sources, I will lean toward Griffin on this one. (RELATED: ‘Shot To Pieces': Tucker's Guest Makes Uncorroborated Claim About US Forces Entering Gaza)
And this isn't the first run-in between Calrson and Griffin.
As Mediate reported:
In recent years, Griffin has repeatedly fact-checked and pushed back on comments made by her Fox News colleagues, which prompted Carlson to refer to her as a “so-called reporter” and “flack” in 2022, more than a year before he was ousted from the network.
In August, Carlson again took aim at Griffin, calling her “a mouthpiece for the Pentagon and the CIA,” and accusing her of “knowingly telling lies on their behalf.”
While Carlson did not mention Griffin by name, he said, “There are very well-known national security reporters, and I'm thinking of one female national security reporter in particular who just reads lies from the national security state.”
Meanwhile, some are saying former president Donald Trump may consider Carlson for his running mate. And that Melania is pushing for him to pick him.
According to Axios:
But here's an interesting twist: Melania Trump is an advocate for picking Tucker Carlson, the booted Fox News star. She thinks Carlson would make a powerful onstage extension of her husband, a source close to Trump told us. The former first lady has made few campaign appearances this time around — but a Trump-Carlson ticket might encourage her to hit the trail.
Trump, asked last month about Carlson as a potential V.P., said: “I like Tucker a lot. … He's got great common sense.”
The idea of Tucker Carlson has been discounted by many people close to Trump because they assume he'd never pick someone who could outshine him. And Trump's staff is convinced (correctly) that Carlson can't be controlled. But the two men talk a lot.
Some conservatives may swoon at that prospect, but I prefer to defer judgement. I think one loose cannon might be enough in the top-tier of the 2024 ballot.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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