'Shameful': Tucker Carlson under fire for claiming senator who lost legs in Iraq ‘hates America’

Fox News host Tucker Carlson is facing fierce backlash on social media after claiming that Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, a war veteran who lost both her legs in Iraq, hates America.

Speaking on his show on Monday night, Carlson noted that Duckworth was a top contender to be Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s pick for vice president.

He took particular issue with her comment to CNN that it was time to have a “national dialogue” about historical statues in the country, including those to slave-owners like Founding Father George Washington.

Carlson began the segment by declaring sarcastically that people are “not supposed to criticize Tammy Duckworth” because of her military service, as if to brace his audience for the impending onslaught. He then proceeded to call her a “deeply silly and unimpressive person” who “most people just ignore.”

Carlson said Duckworth was not seriously looking for a dialogue and claimed it was “no longer a question” that people like her “hate America.”

“Can you really lead a country that you hate?” he asked, comparing the notion of Duckworth being vice president to a parent hating her own children.

Unsurprisingly, the controversial monologue raised many eyebrows on social media. Netizens were so up in arms about Carlson’s “shameful” comment that his name trended on Twitter on Tuesday. One commenter suggested Carlson had "lost his dignity" while others called for the host to issue a public apology.

The comments also prompted a reply from Duckworth herself. The double amputee senator fired back at the host on Twitter, asking him to “walk a mile in her legs” before telling her she does not love America. 

Ironically, Duckworth had already seemingly tried to backpedal on her comments about historical statues, perhaps unbeknownst to Carlson. 

“This has never been a debate about honoring the complex legacy of those who actually helped build our great nation,” she said on Twitter after previously receiving a backlash of her own.

The issue of whether or not to remove controversial historical statues has been the subject of tense debate in recent weeks following the killing of George Floyd and renewed Black Lives Matter demonstrations. Some protesters have not been interested in debate, however, and have simply torn down the old statues themselves.

If you like this story, share it with a friend!