Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson recently released a two-and-a-half hour interview with Andrew Tate, the social media influencer who was charged with rape and human trafficking in Romania last month. It received a mixed reaction on Tuesday.
Carlson’s interview with Tate for the 9th episode of his show Tucker on Twitter was the first interview the former cable news star has done since he was let go by Fox News in the wake of its $787.5 million settlement with Dominion for airing election conspiracy theories.
During the interview, Andrew Tate said: “If you are naïve enough to believe that there are good guys and bad guys in wars and it’s as simple as good & bad… you need to do a little more investigation”
Tucker Carlson replied: “That’s the truest thing.. Anyone who doesn’t understand that should shut the f*ck up”
Andrew Tate: “If you are naïve enough to believe that there are good guys and bad guys in wars and it’s as simple as good & bad… you need to do a little more investigation”
Tucker Carlson: “That’s the truest thing.. Anyone who doesn’t understand that should shut the f*ck up” pic.twitter.com/nEXHEdmo9D
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) July 12, 2023
While the interview received promotion and praise from figures as varied as billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk and former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, it also received backlash from conservative commentators and Carlson’s viewers alike.
“Tate is charged in Romania with rape, human trafficking, and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women. Are you an Andrew Tate right winger or a Sound of Freedom right winger. You can’t really be both,” tweeted conservative commentator Erick Erickson, in reference to Sound of Freedom — a movie about sex trafficking which was heavily promoted by conservatives on social media this month.
“Tucker devotes his first lengthy interview to a sex trafficking woman abusing fraud,” reacted Fox News contributor and Spectator editor Ben Domenech. “Not going to waste 2.5 hours of my life on these two, can someone tell me if Tucker asked Tate his opinion of Sound of Freedom.”
