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Fire Tucker Carlson: Fox News host slammed by Angry Internet for justifying ‘17-year-olds with rifles’ in Kenosha

While the Kenosha incident was being discussed widely across media, Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson’s views about the incident drew a lot of flak

A teenager armed with an assault rifle has been arrested in relation to at least two shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 25 night as protests over the shooting of unarmed Black man Jacob Blake turned violent. The gunman was identified as Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, and has been charged with murder and is currently jailed in Lake County, Illinois. He is expected to appear in court later this week for extradition.

While the incident was being discussed and reported widely across media, Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson’s views about the incident created a huge uproar. On August 26, during a news segment regarding the unrest at Kenosha and the arrest of the youth, Carlson, as quoted by The Daily Beast said, “The 17-year-old who has been charged tried to run from the mob, tripped and fell in the middle of the street. A man ran up and smashed him in the head with a skateboard. The 17-year-old fired his gun.” Even though he said he was “unsure” about the consequence of the alleged video of Rittenhouse shooting two individuals, the anchor, as per the report said a court will decide if it “qualifies as self-defense”.

He further stated, “Kenosha has devolved into anarchy, the authorities in charge of the city abandoned it. People in charge, from the governor of Wisconsin on down, refused to enforce the law. They stood back and watched Kenosha burn.” He added, “So are we really surprised this looting and arson accelerated to murder? How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order when no one else would? Everyone can see what was happening in Kenosha. It was getting crazier by the hour.”

According to Carlson, “Our leaders want us to believe this is a racial conflict, they’re always telling us it is. They’re lying. It is not a racial conflict. This is not a race war. This is a class war.”

Twitter wasn’t pleased with Carlson’s take on the incident and they had a lot to say. American commentator Bill Kristol tweeted, "Your occasional reminder that Tucker Carlson is employed and compensated by a corporation whose board of directors could insist that its employees, e.g., not excuse racial violence: Rupert Murdoch Lachlan Murdoch Chase Carey Anne Dias Roland A. Hernandez Jacques Nasser Paul Ryan."

One user alleged, "Tucker Carlson defending Kyle Rittenhouse's decision to murder 2 people in a Kenosha, Wisconsin. His show needs to be CANCELED. And so do his ADVERTISERS."

Another commented, "Tucker Carlson is using his platform to justify Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder of 2 people. This will only serve to inspire others to take similar action. This is despicable, depraved, authoritarian white supremacy."

One user said, "Tucker Carlson opened tonight's program by defending a 17 year-old who murdered two people in the street with an assault rifle."

Another stated, "Tucker Carlson actively promotes bigotry, hatred, misinformation and racial violence. He should be removed from being on air, in any form, permanently."

Writer Michael Marshall Smith said, "ENOUGH. Tucker Carlson and Fox News are not just normalizing but promoting the idea that it's defensible for random guys with assault rifles to take to the streets. Every advertiser that stays with this show is condoning armed civil unrest and domestic terrorism."

Another said, "Raise your hand if you want Tucker Carlson to be Fired."

One user said, "Only in 45's America can you go on a FAKE NEWS channel to call the cold-blooded murder of two innocent people "maintaining order" and still get to keep your job. Reversed hand with middle finger extended.
#FireTuckerCarlson"

Another user said, "The fascist and racist comments of Fox News’s flapship White Supremacist are inhumane and abhorrent. RETWEET if you think @foxnewsalert  should fire @TuckerCarlson! #FireTuckerCarlson."

One commented, "I can't take it....#FireTuckerCarlson has to trend, what he said was inciting violence and killing."

According to a June report in The Daily Beast, Carlson had spoken against the Black Lives Matter movement and said "Imagine if the Black Lives Matter rioters had weapons and immunity from prosecution. That’s what they are talking about. Partisan law enforcement, and partisan law enforcement, incidentally, is hardly without precedent. In fact, it’s the rule in the Third World. This is an attempt to bring it here."