♪ ♪
>> Tucker: GOOD EVENING.
WELCOME TO "TUCKER CARLSON
TONIGHT."
HAPPY WEDNESDAY.
ON NOVEMBER 22, 1963, A MAN
CALLED LEE HARVEY OSWALD
MURDERED THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BUT THERE
WAS NEVER ANY QUESTION ABOUT
WHO LEE HARVEY OSWALD WAS.
HE WAS A PASSIONATE AND
COMMITTED COMMUNIST.
IN 1959, HE GAVE UP HIS
AMERICAN PASSPORT AND DEFECTED
TO THE SOVIET UNION WHERE HE
MARRIED A RUSSIAN WOMAN AND
LIVED IN MINESK.
THEN HE RETURNED TO THIS
COUNTRY AND BEGAN TO ATTEND
RALLIES FOR FIDEL CASTRO.
THEN HE TRAVELED TO MEXICO
CITY AND MET WITH THE K.G.B.
AGENTS THERE.
A FEW MONTHS BEFORE IN DALLAS
HE TRIED TO MURDER GENERAL
EDWIN WALKER BECAUSE WALKER
HAD GIVEN SPEECHES ATTACKING
COMMUNISM.
SO OSWALD NEVER HID HIS
POLITICS.
NOT FOR A MOMENT.
HE TALKED INCESSANTLY ABOUT
COMMUNISM TO ANYONE WHO WOULD
LISTEN.
BUT MANY AMERICANS NEVER
REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT LEE
HARVEY OSWALD BELIEVED AND
THEY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND IT
BECAUSE THE NEWS OUTLETS
DIDN’T TELL THEM.
ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE MEDIA
BEGAN SPINNING A DIFFERENT
STORY.
PRESIDENT KENNEDY, THEY
SUGGESTED, HAD BEEN MURDERED
BY CONSERVATIVES, POSSIBLY BY
CONSERVATISM ITSELF, BY HATE,
AS THEY OFTEN PUT IT.
THE EXPLANATION WAS NEVER
PRECISE BUT THE IDEA WAS THE
SAME.
RIGHT WINGERS KILLED KENNEDY.
THE SOVIET UNION NATURALLY A
SUSPECT IN THIS CRIME HAPPY TO
AGREE WITH THE ASSESSMENT.
AS A SOEV YACHT SPOKESMAN --
SOVIET SPOKEMAN PUT IT THE
MORAL RESPONSIBILITY LAY WITH
"BARRY GOLDWATER AND OTHER
EXTREMISTS ON THE RIGHT."
IN THE END, COORDINATED LYING
PAID OFF.
A YEAR LATER GOLDWATER LOST TO
THE INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT LYNDON
JOHNSON IN LOPSIDED ELECTION.
BY THAT TIME MANY AMERICANS
ASSOCIATED GOLDWATER WITH
MURDER.
AS THE DECADES PASSED, THE
MEDIA KEPT REPEATING THE LIE.
BY THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF
THE KENNEDY AS IS NATION, THE
"NEW YORKER" MAGAZINE STILL
BLAMING ANTICOMMUNISM FOR THE
FACT THAT AN AVOWED COMMUNIST
MURDERED THE PRESIDENT.
JUST BECAUSE IT’S ABSURD,
DOESN’T MEAN THEY WASN’T SAY
IT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE AND
THEY DO.
BY NOW IT’S LIKELY THAT MOST
AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT
HAPPENED.
WHY WOULDN’T THEY BELIEVE IT?
THAT IS WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN
TOLD.
THAT POINT IS WORTH RUMINATING
ON AND REMEMBERING.
HISTORY IS A POLITICAL TOOL.
HISTORY IS NOT SIMPLY A RECORD
OF WHAT HAPPENED.
HISTORY IS A WAY TO SHAPE THE
FUTURE.
HISTORY IS USED TO HURT SOME
PEOPLE AND HELP OTHER PEOPLE
GAIN POWER.
HISTORY IS NEVER NEUTRAL.
WE ARE WATCHING OUR OWN
HISTORY BEING WRITTEN BEFORE
US.
RIGHT NOW.
CONSIDER THIS CLIP.
IT’S FROM MSNBC LAST NIGHT.
IN THIS CLIP, FAMOUS HIS
ATTORNEY BESCHLOSS COMPARES
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CAPITOL
ON JANUARY 6 TO WHAT HAPPENED
TO AMERICA ON SEPTEMBER 11.
>> THIS WAS A PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES INCITING AN
INSURRECTION, A TERRORIST
ATTACK ON CONGRESS.
WE OBSERVED 9/11.
WE REMEMBER THE FACT THAT
THERE WERE ATTACKS THAT
LANDED, ONE ALMOST LANDED IN
AN EFFORT TO FLY AN AIRPLANE
IN THE CAPITOL, KILL A LOT OF
MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
THAT ALMOST HAPPENED.
HERE IS A TERRORIST ATTACK
THAT DID HAPPEN.
>> Tucker: SO WE OBSERVE
9/11 HE SAYS AND GOING FORWARD
WE MUST OBSERVE JANUARY 6.
MAYBE WE NEED A MEMORIAL ON
THE MALL.
AS HAS BEEN SAID REPEATEDLY IN
THE LAST 24 HOURS AND
POIGNANTLY "WE MUST NEVER
FORGET."
IT’S TRUE IT’S EASY TO MAKE
FUN OF BESCHLOSS.
HE IS A HISTORIAN IN THE SENSE
THAT 7-ELEVEN IS A RESTAURANT.
LIKE A CONVENIENCE STORE, HE
IS EVERYWHERE.
IT COULD BE 3:00 IN THE
MORNING ON A COLD DECEMBER
NIGHT AND YOU COULD PICK UP A
PINT OF BESCHLOSS IF YOU
NEEDED ONE.
BUT DON’T CONSUME TOO MUCH
IT’S NOT NUTRITIOUS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE EAT THIS
STUFF.
THAT IS THE POINT.
HE SELL WHAT IS THE CALLED
"POPULAR HISTORY."
THE KIND OF HISTORY THAT
STICKS.
THAT IS JUST THE HISTORY
ASSEMBLED IN PRINT AND ON
CABLE NEWS, AT THIS POINT --
BE HONEST ABOUT IT -- ARE THE
MEDIA OF CHOICE FOR THOSE OF
US WHO LIVED IN THE WORLD
BEFORE INTERNET.
MEDIA FOR OLDER PEOPLE.
FOR THOSE UNDER 30, HISTORY IS
WRITTEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
THAT IS WHERE THE REAL
DEMAGOGUES LIVE.
TECH PLATFORMS ARE THE REMAIN
OF PEOPLE FOR WHO FACTUAL
REALITY IS NOT A
CONSIDERATION.
IT’S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
WAY OF THINKING.
ONCE YOU DECIDE THAT BIOLOGY
ITSELF IS NOT REAL YOU ARE
FREE FROM CONVENTIONAL
CONSTRAINTS OF REALITY.
AT THAT POINT WHAT HAPPENED IN
A GIVEN PLACE AT A GIVEN TIME
IS TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY
IRRELEVANT.
IDEOLOGY IS ALL THAT MATTERS.
SANDY CORTEZ IS A MASTER OF
THE MEDIA, OF COURSE.
WATCH HER DESCRIPTION OF THE
EVENTS OF JANUARY 6, BROADCAST
TO KIDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON
INSTAGRAM.
>> I JUMP IN TO MY BATHROOM.
AND I CLOSE THE DOOR.
I JUST KEEP HEARING BANG,
BANG, BANG!
I OPEN THE DOOR.
WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEAR
THAT WHOEVER WAS TRYING TO GET
INSIDE GOT IN MY OFFICE.
AND YOU JUST HEAR "WHERE IS
SHE?
WHERE IS SHE?"
AND THIS WAS THE MOMENT WHERE
I THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS OVER.
>> Tucker: SO WE PLAYED
CLAIMS LIKE THAT FOR YOU
BEFORE AND WE ALWAYS MADE FUN
OF THEM.
THERE SHE IS AGAIN.
DEFENDER OF THE COMMON MAN,
YAMMERING ON ABOUT THE ONLY
SUBJECT SHE CARES ABOUT.
HERSELF.
WALLOWING AROUND IN LAKE ME
LIKE IT’S INTERESTING TO
ANYBODY BUT HER.
THE PERFECT SYMBOL OF A
CULTURE DYING FROM
SELF-INVOLVEMENT.
WE SAID IT BEFORE AND LAUGHED
AS WE DID.
BUT ACTUALLY IT’S NOT FUNNY.
PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE THIS CRAP.
SOME ALREADY DO.
AND ANYONE WHO WAS PHYSICALLY
PRESENT AT THE CAPITOL THAT
DAY KNOWS IT’S RIDICULOUS.
THERE WERE NO No. RIOTERS IN
RAKHMATALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ’
HALLWAY.
A LOT OF THEM WERE ANGRIER
THAN AT MITCH McCONNELL AN
ANY DEMOCRAT.
WHAT YOU SAW WAS A INTRA-PARTY
STRUGGLE.
NOT ALL OF IT BUT SOME OF IT.
BORN OF THE LONG-SIMMERING
FRUSTRATION.
THOSE WHO RUN THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY DON’T CARE ABOUT THE
PEOPLE WHO ELECT THEM.
THAT HAS LONG BEEN TRUE.
REPUBLICAN VOTERS FINALLY
FIGURED IT OUT.
IT’S ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS
THEY LEARNED IN THE TRUMP
YEARS.
ON JANUARY 6, THEY EXPLODED.
LINDSEY GRAHAM WAS LIKELY IN
GREATER DANGER THAN SANDY
CORTEZ OR OMAR.
IT’S NOT A DEFENSE OF ANYONE’S
BEHAVIOR, MUCH LESS A DEFENSE
OF RIOTING THAT WE DO NOT
SUPPORT AND NEVER SUPPORT.
IT’S NOT IDEOLOGICAL POINT.
IT’S JUST TRUE.
THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED.
BUT AT THIS POINT THE TRUTH
DOESN’T MATTER.
WHAT MATTERS IS WHO GETS TO
WRITE THE HISTORY OF WHAT
HAPPENED.
WHO GETS TO DEFINE WHAT THE
TRUTH IS.
THERE ARE THE ONES WHO WILL
CONTROL THE FUTURE.
THAT IS WHY THEY ARE DOING IT.
THERE IS A REASON THAT WITHIN
HOURS DEMOCRATS BEGAN
DESCRIBING THE RIOT AS A
RACIAL ATTACK.
IT WAS CONFUSING TO HEAR THAT
AT FIRST IF YOU WATCHED IT AND
KNEW WHAT HAPPENED.
WE WERE COMPLETELY CONFUSED.
AWFUL AS IT WAS, THERE WAS
NOTHING RACIAL ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED THAT DAY.
CLAIMING OTHERWISE IS ABSURD.
A FANTASY.
IT’S A LIE.
BUT NO ONE PUSHED BACK AGAINST
THAT LIE SO THEY KEPT
REPEATING IT.
NOW WEEKS LATER, IT’S THE
ACCEPTED VERSION OF WHAT
HAPPENED.
POWERFUL LAWMAKERS JUST SAY IT
FROM THE HOUSE FLOOR LIKE IT’S
FACT.
LIKE IT’S PROVEN IN SOME
OBJECTIVE INQUIRY AND EVERYONE
KNOWS IT’S TRUE.
>> AMERICA HAS BEEN THROUGH A
CIVIL WAR, WORLD WARS, A GREAT
DEPRESSION, PANDEMIC, McCARR
THYISM AND NOW A --
McCARTHYISM AND WHITE
NATIONALISTS INSURRECTION.
>> Tucker: WHITE NATIONALIST
INSURRECTION.
AGAIN, IT WAS AWFUL, BUT IT
WAS NOT THAT.
SO YOU HAVE TO ASK WHY ARE
THEY CLAIMING IT WAS THAT?
YOU KNOW THE ANSWER.
EVERYONE KNOWS THE ANSWER.
BUT MOST EVERYONE IS COWARDLY
TO STAY IT OUT LOUD.
THEY ARE SAYING THAT DESPITE
THE FACT THEY KNOW IT ISN’T
TRUE SO THEY CAN LUMP YOU IN
WITH THE PEOPLE WHO BROKE IN
TO THE CAPITOL AND PUNISH YOU
FOR CRIMES YOU DID NOT COMMIT
AND NEVER SUPPORTED.
IF WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY OF
WAS A RIOT AND IT WAS, WE CAN
ARREST THE RIOTERS AND PUNISH
THEM.
AND WE SHOULD.
IF WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY 6
WAS INSURRECTION, HOWEVER, IF
IT WAS A FAILED REVOLUTION,
AND ATTEMPTED COUP, THEN IT’S
SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.
IF IT’S THAT, THEN WE NEED A
MILITARY RESPONSE.
WE NEED A NEW WAR AGAINST OUR
OWN POPULATION.
NOT SURPRISINGLY, THAT IS
EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE CALLING
FOR.
>> EVERYONE AT THE HEIGHT OF
THE CRISIS IMMEDIATELY AFTER
9/11, THERE REALLY WEREN’T
THAT MANY MEMBERS OF AL-QAEDA
IN AFGHANISTAN.
THE THRUST OF THE CAMPAIGN
THERE WAS YES TO HUNT DOWN
AL-QAEDA.
BUT PRIMARILY TO REMOVE THE
SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT IN
WHICH THEY WERE ABLE TO
FLOURISH.
THAT MEANT FIGHTING THE
TALIBAN.
I THINK THAT IS THE HEART OF
WHAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH
HERE.
HUNTING DOWN PEOPLE WHO ARE
CRIMINALS.
>> Tucker: HUNT THEM DOWN
LIKE AL-QAEDA.
TO BE COMPLETELY CLEAR, WE ARE
NOT OVER STATING THIS, WE ARE
NOT HYSTERICAL.
WE ARE JUST CLOSE LISTENERS.
BY "THEM" HE MEANS AMERICANS
WHO WERE NOWHERE NEAR THE
CAPITOL ON JANUARY 6.
HAD NO ROLE IN WHAT HAPPENED
THAT DAY.
AND DIDN’T SUPPORT IT.
THAT IS THE ASSESSMENT FROM
THE FORMER C.I.A. OFFICIAL WHO
SPENT YEARS HUNTING AL-QAEDA
IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
NO ONE IN WASHINGTON APPEARS
TO THINK THIS TALK IS ALARMING
IN A FORMERLY PEACEFUL
REPUBLIC LIKE OURS.
JUST TODAY, SENATOR MITCH
McCONNELL THE LEADER SENT
OUT A TWEET BLASTING VLADIMIR
PUTIN FOR SOME MISDEED OR
OTHER.
IN THE U.S. SENATE, RUSSIA IS
STILL THE REAL THREAT.
NOT QUITE AS UPSET ABOUT CHINA
SOMEHOW.
BUT WHAT McCONNELL DIDN’T
MENTION AND ALMOST NEVER DOES
ARE HIS OWN VOTERS THE ONES
NOW RE-CLASSIFIED AS THE
AL-QAEDA TERRORISTS AND
TREATED ACCORDINGLY.
ON MONDAY THE "WASHINGTON
EXAMINER" THAT CLAIMS TO BE A
RIGHT OF CENTER PUBLICATION,
WHATEVER THAT MEANS AT THIS
POINT, RAN A PIECE BY A FORMER
C.I.A. OFFICER KEVIN CARROLL.
ACCORDING TO KEVIN CARROLL,
"WE SAW FIVE DEAD IN THE
JANUARY 6 ATTEMPTED COUP
D’ETAT."
HE DID NOT EXPLAIN WHO THE
FIVE PEOPLE WERE OR HOW
EXACTLY THEY DIED.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW THAT.
BUT THE FACTS WERE NOT THE
POINT.
THE POINT WAS THAT THIS WAS AN
ATTEMPTED COUP D’ETAT.
AND THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO
ACT ACCORDINGLY.
WE ARE QUOTING.
"WE DEFEATED AL-QAEDA AND CAN
DO THE SAME THING TO THE
FASCIST THUGS WHO ATTACKED OUR
DEMOCRACY LAST MONTH.
BUT ONLY IF WE TAKE SIMILAR
HARD MEASURES AGAINST THE
ENEMY WITHIN."
TREATING AMERICANS LIKE
AL-QAEDA.
THE ENEMY WITHIN.
THAT IS THE NEW CONSERVATIVE
POSITION ON THE RIOTS OF
JANUARY 6.
WHY WOULDN’T IT BE THE
POSITION OF EVERYONE IN THIS
COUNTRY, BECAUSE THAT IS THE
HISTORY THEY ARE WRITING.
WE ARE LETTING THEM.
BUT WE SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR