Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson has criticized two Republican senators who have said that a U.S. military response should not be ruled out if Russia were to invade Ukraine.
After Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin held virtual talks amid international concern at Russia's military buildup by Ukraine's borders, Carlson used a segment on Tuesday's show to ask "how does intervening in Ukraine help the core interests of the United States?"
"Of course that is the one question no one in Washington is asking," Carlson said before throwing to a clip of Pentagon spokesman John Kirby telling reporters that the U.S. had provided Kyiv with "millions of dollars worth of lethal and non-lethal assistance."
Carlson went on to say that regardless of people's opinion of former President Donald Trump, he should be given credit for not getting the United States involved in "pointless wars."
He then threw to another clip, this time from January 2020, in which Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told lawmakers how U.S. help for Ukraine was to ensure that it didn't have "to fight Russia here."
Carlson mocked Schiff's comments, going on to say that "suddenly partisan Republicans are making identical noises."
The Tucker Carlson Tonight host referred to comments on his own network by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) who said he wanted Biden to keep military action "on the table," suggesting that even nuclear action should be considered as a deterrent.
Mocking Wicker as "not a genius, famously, but still, a sitting Republican senator" Carlson said, "got that in our back pocket. Nuclear weapons."
"Roger Wicker, sitting U.S. Senator. No one in Washington laughed at Roger Wicker. This is so crazy, that no one seems aware of how crazy it is."
Carlson then responded to comments made by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) whom he described as "totally affable" but who suddenly sounded like "a bloodthirsty warmonger" when she said what should be done to curb "that dastardly Vladimir Putin."
A clip of the interview shows her saying that Biden should back Kyiv and stop the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany which critics say gives Putin a geopolitical advantage.
"What you just saw there is a child who has no idea what she's talking about," Carlson said. "'We will defend Ukraine,' says Joni Ernst," he added in a mocking tone mimicking her.
"This is a senator from Iowa? So what happens if we don't defend Ukraine, Joni Ernst? Will kids in Des Moines grow up to speak Russian? It turns out that foreign lobbying campaigns work pretty well," Carlson concluded.
Newsweek has contacted Wicker and Ernst for comment.
Tuesday's two-hour conversation between Biden and Putin was described by the Kremlin as "frank and businesslike" but it seemed that the leaders did not reach any major compromises.
Biden said the U.S. had promised it would impose "strong economic and other measures" in response against the Russian buildup, according to The White House. Putin in turn accused NATO of "making dangerous attempts to conquer Ukrainian territory," the Kremlin said.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more
