Tucker Carlson is being mocked online again, this time for an epic self-own. Carlson has admitted to lying to viewers on-air, but criticized those on other news networks who "look right into the camera and lie."
While staring directly into the camera, as he very often does, Carlson said:
"These people are so partisan they'll say literally anything. They'll look right into the camera and lie"
Carlson claimed that he lies "out of weakness or whatever" during an interview with conservative host Dave Rubin back in September.
"I mean, I lie if I'm really cornered or something. I lie. I really try not to. I try never to lie on TV. I just don't―I don't like lying. I certainly do it, you know, out of weakness or whatever."
He then tried to defend his lies as different than when others lie.
"So if these people ask themselves why am I doing this? And they say, well, I want to protect the system because I really believe in the system. OK, who's running the system? You're lying to defend Jeff Bezos? Like, you're treating Bill Gates like some sort of moral leader, like, are you kidding me? How dare you do that."
It wasn't long before the clip was shared to Twitter and went viral for the sheer level of hypocrisy.
It took no time at all for people to begin the mockery.
The day irony looked into the camera, and lied. https://t.co/zkvqKX6X7g
— Amit Serper 👨🍼 (@0xAmit) November 19, 2021
Tucker doesn't want anyone muscling in on Fox News' territory
— Bread & Circuses 🍞🎪🎪 (@FeasterFamine) November 19, 2021
And God damn it I have the market on that
— TWalsh (@hogan_1969) November 19, 2021
I think we have a new world record for a lack of self awareness. https://t.co/Ji9A7Lz9hk
— Steve Metz (@steven_metz) November 19, 2021
No one knows looking right into the camera and lying better than Tuck tuck.
— Andrew Wortman 🏳️🌈 (@AmoneyResists) November 19, 2021
Right wing projection is like Die Hard.
You know it's going to be repeated on TV screens on a regular basis.
— George Kaplan (@GeorgeK20411014) November 19, 2021
He says he lies because of " whatever". Too unaware to know its called lack of integrity, or lack of knowledge. Lack of morals, or just lack of inteligence. Or due to spite bigotry and narrow mindness He can choose...they all fit.
— Judy Riggenbach (@Riggimortis) November 19, 2021
Imagine being such a shameless liar. https://t.co/CQ6QtvL3jX
— Khashoggi's Ghost (@UROCKlive1) November 19, 2021
Carlson's tendencies toward "terminological inexactitude"—to quote Sir Winston Churchill—are so well known attorneys for Fox News actually got a judge to dismiss a lawsuit last year on the assertion that nobody reasonably expects what Carlson says to be true.
United States District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil granted the defense's request to dismiss the suit, saying in her comments:
"Given Mr. Carlson's reputation, any reasonable viewer 'arrive[s] with an appropriate amount of skepticism' about the statements he makes."