Tucker Carlson’s takedown of female soldiers angered top military officials, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth isn’t done with the Fox News host yet. This may or may not be the cap in the feather of Tucker’s headline-making month, so let’s do a brief recap here. Today, Jon Stewart apologized to d*cks for comparing them to Tucker, and this week, Tucker patted Piers Morgan on the back over his racist bashing of Meghan Markle. This happened after Tucker made up a story about low sperm count and weed, but he actually may have gone too far when he ridiculed women in combat while declaring, “Pregnant women are going to fight our wars. It’s a mockery of the US military.”
Prominent members of the military community (including several officials and the Pentagon spokesperson) of all political persuasions came for Tucker, and Joe Walsh declared, “Every woman in the military I’ve ever met could absolutely kick Tucker Carlson’s ass.” One of the most notable pushbacks, however, came from Senator Tammy Duckworth — the retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, Purple Heart recipient, and Iraqi War vet who lost both legs in combat — who joined in with some justifiable profanity.
“F*ck Tucker Carlson,” Duckworth tweeted. “While he was practicing his two-step, America’s female warriors were hunting down Al Qaeda and proving the strength of America’s women.” The Asian-American senator included a frightening GIF from his Dancing With The Stars stint.
F*ck Tucker Carlson. While he was practicing his two-step, America’s female warriors were hunting down Al Qaeda and proving the strength of America’s women.
Happy belated International Women’s Day to everyone but Tucker, who even I can dance better than. pic.twitter.com/E4wchht9lA
— Tammy Duckworth (@TammyDuckworth) March 11, 2021
Tammy followed up with a tweet, in which she pointed people to July 2020 New York Times coverage of Tucker’s beef with her. “Tucker never learns,” the senator tweeted. “This wasn’t the first and probably won’t be the last time he goes after women who sacrifice in uniform so he doesn’t have to. But no matter how many times he insults our Armed Forces, I won’t be silent.”
Tucker never learns.
This wasn't the first and probably won't be the last time he goes after women who sacrifice in uniform so he doesn't have to.
But no matter how many times he insults our Armed Forces, I won't be silent. https://t.co/BPjuo6SCzs
— Tammy Duckworth (@TammyDuckworth) March 12, 2021
It bears reminding that Duckworth previously tweeted, “Does @TuckerCarlson want to walk a mile in my legs and then tell me whether or not I love America?”
Does @TuckerCarlson want to walk a mile in my legs and then tell me whether or not I love America?
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) July 7, 2020
With the linked piece, Duckworth reheated her previous criticism (as detailed by the New York Times) how Tucker strenuously proclaimed his right to attack both Duckworth and Sen. Ilhan Omar because he felt “allowed to question their patriotism.” He also referred to Duckworth as a “moron” on Fox News while complaining that she wants to “tear down our statues.” He added, “Tammy Duckworth is not a child, at least not technically; she is a sitting United States senator.”
To that, the NYT previously pointed out that Duckworth’s ancestors have long served in the military, all the way back to the American Revolution. And vote Vets pushed back at Tucker, too, while describing Tammy as “tough as hell” and describing Tucker as “on a suicide mission to take her down.” It looks like Duckworth’s continuing mission against Carlson is a far more successful one.