Politics - News Analysis

Tucker Carlson Claims Democrats Completely Made Up QAnon Because There’s No ‘Website’ For It

Last month, Fox News Host Tucker Carlson defended QAnon supporters, but now he’s “jokingly” (of course) suggesting there’s no evidence that the QAnon conspiracy theory even exists and that coverage of the damage done by its adherents is nothing more than a left-wing disinformation campaign, HuffPost Politics reports.

“We spent all day trying to locate the famous QAnon, which, in the end, we learned is not even a website,” Carlson told viewers. “If it’s out there, we could not find it.”

Right before that, Carlson harangued CNN and other media organizations for coverage examining the increasing indoctrination of Americans through disinformation and right-wing conspiracy theories, including the ones fomented by the mysterious and shadowy figure known as Q.

“Disinformation networks?” Carlson said, deriding CNN and other media outlets. “That doesn’t sound like a misleading social post, it sounds like a terror cell. And it sounds that way on purpose. The thing about disinformation that they’re telling us is that it’s not simply harmful to you personally … disinformation hurts everyone.”

Even though Fox News claimed Carlson was joking, The Washington Post notes that makes his comments all the more toxic. Because QAnon supporters, accompanied by white nationalists and other Trump-supporting extremists, crossed a deadly line when they formed a violent mob and attacked the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6. The attack resulted in five deaths, including that of a Capitol police officer. Having been fed a steady diet of disinformation about the “stolen election” the angry insurgents even threatened to harm members of Congress and former Vice President Mike Pence because they saw these people as impediments to a second Trump term.

And what Carlson seemingly suggested is that if he couldn’t find QAnon’s “website” or find bogus information from other extremist right-wing communities, then it must have been fabricated by the left.

“We checked [Georgia Republican Rep.] Marjorie Taylor Greene Twitter feed because we have heard she traffics in disinformation, CNN told us, but nothing there. Next, we called our many friends in the tight-knit intel community. Could Vladimir Putin be putting this stuff out there? The Proud Boys? Alex Jones?”

Carlson is being ridiculous here. Taylor Greene has spouted conspiracy theories on numerous occasions and so has Jones. One only has to hop on the recently revived Parler if they want to look up QAnon.

This is mere laziness on Carlson’s part and it can be argued he’s the one seeking to misinform.

“Who is lying to America in ways that are certain to make us hate each other and certain to destroy our core institutions?” He said.

“Well, none of the above. It wasn’t Marjorie Taylor Greene. It was cable news. It was politicians talking on TV. They’re the ones spreading disinformation to Americans. Maybe they are from QAnon.”

Predictably, Carlson’s commentary met with well-deserved criticism, especially from Rep. Adam Kinzinger. The Illinois Republican is definitely no fan of Trump:

“Next step in the whitewash: ‘Who is this Q of which you speak? There is no website!’ Deny, plead ignorance, misdirect… is there any question why people are confused? Quit lying, accept reality and use your energy to make us a better country.”

Others followed suit:

But I think Huffpost Politics writer Josephine Harvey put it best, in the very last paragraph, in fact:

“Carlson and many of his colleagues at Fox News and Fox Business have been key players in the amplification, production, and spread of disinformation relating to the election, Trump, and other subjects. Fox Corp is being sued by voting systems company Smartmatic for $2.7 billion, which is accusing the media giant’s election coverage of being false and defamatory.”

That tells you all you need to know about who is really spreading the disinformation.

meet the author

Megan has lived in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida and she currently lives in Central America. Living in these places has informed her writing on politics, science, and history. She is currently owned by 15 cats and 3 dogs and regularly owns Trump supporters when she has the opportunity. She can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GaiaLibra and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/politicalsaurus

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