In a highly charged speech on Thursday evening, Tucker Carlson, the former star of Fox News, accused any and all Republican Senators who vote against Tulsi Gabbard for the position of head of the U.S. intelligence community of being “an enemy” of the country.
In Phoenix, Carlson participated in the annual “America Fest” conference hosted by Turning Point USA, where he was accompanied by celebrities such as Steve Bannon and Donald Trump Jr.
Carlson, who recently caused controversy with an interview with economist Jeffrey Sachs regarding Syria and Israel, has consistently supported Gabbard, the former hard-left Democratic congresswoman whom Donald Trump has nominated to serve as director of national intelligence.
During his interview with Sachs earlier in the week, Carlson expressed his inability to comprehend the necessity of “hating Assad.”
“Tulsi Gabbard went and met with Assad. She’s been attacked ever since. Has anyone ever explained why Americans should hate Assad?” Carlson said.
“She served in the U.S. military for 20 years. So, by the way, if she was a foreign agent, how exactly was she carrying a gun in the U.S. military? It’s absurd.” Carlson later added during his speech at “America Fest.”
“You will know who’s on which side by the reaction of Tulsi Gabbard. If there are Republican senators who are voting against Tulsi Gabbard confirmation, then either in the Intel committee or in the open Senate, you will know that person is not only my enemy as someone who voted for change, for openness, for transparency, for an end to corruption, for draining of the swamp. You know, that person is an enemy of the United States. Period,” he continued.
Gabbard, who was a vocal opponent of Trump and ran for president as a Democrat in 2020, is perceived to have a challenging path in the Senate.
Gabbard’s statements regarding the conflict in Ukraine have consistently provoked criticism as they have been perceived insufficiency in favor of more war.
In recent days, Gabbard’s 2017 visit to meet with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and the kind words she had for him afterwards have also garnered attention.
She has previously expressed her staunch opposition to Trump’s previous foreign policy.
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