The former Fox News host Tucker Carlson ridiculed the “women who run the network” for apologizing over a chyron describing President Joe Biden as a “wannabe dictator.”
In case you missed it, the network posted the chyron during split-screen coverage of dueling speeches from former President Donald Trump and the current President.
“Wannabe dictator speaks at the White House after having his political rival arrested,” the graphic read during a prime-time opinion-oriented show that replaced Tucker’s previous program.
Fox responded to criticism by saying the chyron was “taken down immediately and was addressed,” which meant allegedly forcing the resignation of a producer discovered to have been responsible for the message.
Incredible. The chyron guy is a legend. I hope @TuckerCarlson hires him since Fox News went woke and fired him over it. ??? pic.twitter.com/m1B1tVh3Db
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) June 16, 2023
Tucker Carlson Slams Fox News Reaction To ‘Wannabe Dictator’ Chyron
In the fourth episode of “Tucker on Twitter” posted Thursday evening, Carlson blasted Fox News over their panicked reaction to the “wannabe dictator” chyron.
“Those words were up for less than 30 seconds but the effect was immediate,” he explained. “Inside Fox, the women who run the network panicked.”
He accused them of having “scolded” the producer – since identified as Alexander McCaskill, who worked with Carlson on Tucker Carlson Tonight for several years.
“Less than 24 hours after that, he resigned,” he claimed. “He had been at Fox for more than a decade – he was considered one of the most capable people in the building. He offered to stay for the customary two weeks, but Fox told him to clear out his desk immediately.”
Ep. 4 Wannabe Dictator pic.twitter.com/MDcs5g0gxB
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 15, 2023
RELATED: ‘Will Not Be Silenced By Anyone’: Team Tucker Responds to Cease and Desist Letter From Fox News
Tucker Sarcastically Explains Why Biden Is Definitely NOT A ‘Wannabe Dictator’
Carlson’s latest Twitter broadcast excoriated the media for taking offense to the “wannabe dictator” chyron and wondered why they’d be so dismayed by the message.
“If the banner on Fox was false, why the hysteria?” Carlson said. “Lies don’t seem to bother anyone anymore. If some cable news producer had called Joe Biden a genius or accused him of being secretly Sudanese, would anyone be yelling about it? Would Fox News have apologized for it? Probably not.”
“But calling Joe Biden a wannabe dictator, that stung,” he continued. “So you’ve got to wonder, if you’re being honest with yourself, is Joe Biden a wannabe dictator?”
Carlson then delved into all the reasons President Biden is, in fact, a “wannabe dictator.” Naturally, he did so in his typical sarcastic delivery.
Concerning
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 16, 2023
“Of course, Joe Biden’s not a wannabe dictator,” Carlson said imitating White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“Last night, Fox News ran a chyron that referred to the president as a ‘wannabe dictator’ and I’m wondering if the White House has a comment on that…”
Karine Jean-Pierre: “That was wrong” pic.twitter.com/NQY2h4sDDe
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 14, 2023
“Just because he’s trying to put the other candidate in prison for the rest of his life for a crime he himself committed, doesn’t mean he has a totalitarian impulse, come on, that’s absurd,” Carlson continued to sarcastically rant.
“It takes a lot more than jailing your political rivals to earn the title ‘wannabe dictator,'” he added. “That’s the consensus in Washington tonight.”
Having been in that time slot for several years and operating an opinion program at Fox, Tucker was known for using chyrons to describe things that match his personal take on the topics of the day.
“Wannabe dictator” is relatively tame compared to the time that he had chyrons running that mocked Nancy Pelosi’s eyebrows and suggested that she was actually pop icon Michael Jackson, for instance.
Michael Jackson was spotted on live television over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/Y9Cc3J3A89
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 11, 2022
Pelosi’s eyebrows are funny. Biden’s dictatorial tendencies are concerning. Arguably the “wannabe dictator” message is actually more accurate and more important.
By contrast, nobody’s eyebrows were raised when CNN, while airing a Trump press conference in 2020 during their actual news segments, used their graphics to opine negatively on the then-President.
“Angry Trump turns briefing into propaganda session” and “Angry Trump uses propaganda video, produced by government employees at taxpayers’ expense,” were used under Trump’s picture.
Holy crap! @CNN captioner is ??? today!!!!
❗️ “Angry Trump turns briefing into propaganda session”
❗️ “Trump refuses to acknowledge any mistakes”
❗️ “Angry #Trump uses propaganda video, produced by government employees at taxpayers expense”#TrumpPressConf pic.twitter.com/qq5Mk3JU4C
— ❤️ Allison Berkowitz ❤️ (@SocialWorkItOut) April 13, 2020
Hmm … I wonder if that producer was fired or if the network ever apologized.
