Following Tucker Carlson’s emergency back surgery (and leaked remarks on opioids), the Fox News host was back in propaganda mode on Wednesday night. To that end, GOP Rep. Mike Turner found himself explaining — to a highly influential far-right talking head — why Republicans in Congress (including Turner) have implored President Biden to line up military aid for Ukraine. This took place after Politico published satellite images that revealed Russian forces preparing to take action at the Russia-Ukraine border. And Tucker declared that he was “totally confused” about why the U.S. would want to help the Ukraine rather than stand with Russia. Oh boy.
“Why would we take Ukraine’s side and not Russia’s side?” Tucker asked in that way that he usually wants to sound rhetorical. “It’s a sincere question. If you’re looking at America’s perspective, why? …. Who’s got the energy reserves? Who’s the major player in world affairs? Who’s the potential counterbalance against China. I’m totally confused.”
"I'm totally confused" — Tucker Carlson wonder why the US would be allies with Ukraine instead of Russia, since Russia has more energy reservers. Rep. Mike Turner reminds him that we're supposed to be on the side of democracies. Carlson responds by saying, "I guess" pic.twitter.com/XIXfJXKsML
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 11, 2021
To that, Turner opened up his metaphorical text book and let Tucker know that the U.S. stands for democracies, rather than authoritarian regimes that are trying to control democracies, via Mediaite:
“Maybe if you get out a map and you look to see where the Black Sea is and Romania, where we have our missile defense system, with Greece, and Turkey, the entrance to the Black Sea and then from there you look at what the conflicts have already been on Russia’s areas there. Ukraine is a democracy. Russia is an authoritarian regime that is seeking to impose its will upon a validly elected democracy in Ukraine and we’re on the side of democracy. That’s what people were chasing those planes Afghanistan and wouldn’t be chasing Russian ones.”
To that, Tucker did not sound convinced, but he sort-of agreed. “I guess I’m for democracy in other countries,” he skeptically responded. “I guess?”
From there, Tucker claimed, “I’m really for America.” He added, “I just think that our interest is in counterbalancing the actual threat, which is China. And the only other country with any throw weight that might help us do that is Russia. And our continuation of the Cold War has pushed Russia toward China, and that does not serve our interests in any way. Does it?”
Tucker’s really knee-deep in that Russian propaganda. With that said, let the record reflect that Marco Rubio, who might be the most anti-China lawmaker out there, has condemned Russia’s ongoing aggression with Ukraine. Maybe Rubio should pop in as a Tucker guest, too.
(Via Mediaite)