Tucker Carlson’s new January 6th special is proving rather upsetting to some. As RedState has reported, numerous questions remain regarding the government’s involvement that day, and even if you believe those who entered the Capitol Building are the epitome of evil, two wrongs do not make a right.
Never Trump Appatchiks Jonah Goldberg & Stephen Hayes officially resigned as Fox News contributors following the public release of this special. Today’s news was reported by The New York Times.
The trailer for Tucker Carlson’s special about the Jan. 6 mob at the Capitol landed online on Oct. 27, and that night Jonah Goldberg sent a text to his business partner, Stephen Hayes: “I’m tempted just to quit Fox over this.”
“I’m game,” Mr. Hayes replied. “Totally outrageous. This will only lead to violence. Not sure how we can stay.”
The full special, “Patriot Purge,” appeared on Fox’s online subscription streaming service days later. The two Fox News contributors who were paid by Fox, resigned last week.
To begin, I want to point out that their visit to The Times to express their frustrations speaks volumes. Once you get to the actual article it looks like another publicity stunt by the two Neoconservatives. Both have had their Fox News appearances severely cut over the past few years. In fact, it’s hard to believe they were still being paid to be contributors, which leads to me wonder if they were holding contracts that weren’t going to be renewed anyway. It’s better to be a rebel and flex for leftwing subscribers than wait to be put on the streets.
The Times refers to The Dispatch as the current outlet run by Hayes and Goldberg at one point. That’s the kind of data the paper wouldn’t have unless it was given to them, which again makes the entire article feel like a publicity stunt.
Yet, the thing that strikes me the most about the piece is that while it makes Carlson’s special sound incredibly sinister, there are precious few examples given, either by the Times or its subjects, to illustrate what’s so awful about it. One claim in the piece is that it promotes the belief that Americans are being unfairly targeted as terrorists by the government. That’s hardly a controversial take given recent events, but there’s clearly a hive mentality that seeks to declare any questioning of anything having to do with January 6th as out of bounds. I don’t buy that assertion, spoken or insinuated, nor does Tucker Carlson, obviously.
However, news is still a business. Fox News viewers know this. Carlson continues to be the highest-rated cable news program, while Goldberg & Hayes made only a few appearances on Fox News Sunday & Special Report. They bragged about Trumpism and gave Democrats a pass. While this may still make Paul Ryan warm and fuzzy, it’s not something many other people want.
Still, I just don’t buy that this is an incredibly principled play. Goldberg and Hayes both care about money, and have always been. As the Trump years wore on, they realized that Trump-ism was largely turning away from their failures. They had no moral objections to the fact that American civilians and troops were being killed in poorly planned, poorly executed wars. If I am wrong, their latest attempt to restore decency and morality is not convincing. This latest shift is only one in a string of attempts to bring in more cash.
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