FORT WORTH—Conservative commentator and journalist Tucker Carlson took a break from interviewing world leaders and newsmakers to speak at a fundraiser for the Tarrant County Republican Party, focusing on the invasion at the southern border and firing shots at Gov. Greg Abbott in the process.
The former Fox News host kept his remarks brief but pointed as he described the outpouring of illegal aliens since President Joe Biden took office to the sold-out crowd at an event hall in the stockyards.
“If you assess it rationally, changing the population of your country in order to win elections on the cusp of an economic downturn is the single most destructive thing you could ever do to a country. And it’s happening here,” Carlson told the crowd. “This is the port of entry for millions and millions of non-Americans. And there are a lot of ways to describe the people who come here illegally from other countries. One is ‘illegal.’ Another is ‘undocumented migrant.’ But I would just reduce it to the way I see it, which is not American.”
Carlson—who has been critical of Gov. Abbott’s handling of the border invasion in the past—had not changed his tune.
“I have to say, I know I’m at the Tarrant County Republican Party event, so I don’t want to attack the governor who’s a Republican,” Carlson said, saying he “probably” would have voted for him over his Democrat opponents.
“But I just have to say that I don’t understand how you can be the governor of a state in 2020 and see the border open up and get invaded and not do anything about it.”
When later asked by Tarrant County GOP Chairman Bo French to rate the governor’s performance handling the border crisis, Carlson said “Neville Chamberlain will get a fairer shake” when judged by history.
“In a lot of ways, [Greg Abbott] is a wartime governor. There’s an invasion of your state. And he’s completely ignored it.”
Carlson also took aim at former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.
“It feels weird to be in a room full of people who don’t respect the genius of Nikki Haley. I mean, I know Nikki Haley well enough to have contempt for her,” Carlson said, eliciting laughter from attendees.
“It’s not even about Nikki Haley. It’s about that whole flavor of politics. I would say the overwhelming majority of Republican officeholders that I know have views that align with Nikki Haley. And I think that’s the critical political problem this country faces. You have one party that represents its voters, and you have the other party that has total contempt for its voters and lies to them. And I think Republican voters understand that.”
Carlson’s remarks also centered on a recent theme in his own reporting: the spiritual battle taking place in America.
“This is not flesh and blood at all. If you’re offended by prayer, you’re taking orders, okay? I don’t see another rational explanation for it.”
Carlson explained how he has come to see the alignment of politics in the 21st Century.
“For me, politics is really simple. I divide all players into two categories: people who think they’re God and people who know they’re not. And I’m on the side of those who know they’re not,” said Carlson.
“The most underrated quality in politics, and in fact the rarest quality in politics, is also the most important quality in life. It is the only route to salvation. And that’s humility.”
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