Tucker Carlson briefly cut into a speech by President Joe Biden, hoping to show his viewers a verbal misstep or two from the historically gaffe-prone politician on Thursday.
However, the Fox News host came away empty-handed and tried to save face by seizing on an innocuous comment by the president.
During a tongue-in-cheek monologue that nonetheless infused his very real vaccine skepticism, Carlson suggested the Covid-19 vaccine developed during Donald Trump’s presidency under Operation Warp Speed has had negative side effects.
“People believed him when he said the vax worked, especially older people,” Carlson told viewers. “They knew they were at risk. They wanted to believe that a shot would keep them safe. So they took Donald Trump’s word, and then they took the vax. And then a lot of them got covid anyway. It’s horrifying when you think about it. Here’s one of Donald Trump’s elderly victims.”
Carlson played a month-old clip of Biden at the White House announcing he has Covid.
“Look at that man,” Carlson implored. “Donald Trump’s vaccine did that to him. Four shots, a human pincushion. Now a desiccated husk. Before he took Donald Trump’s vaccine, that man was spry, filled with vigor and vim, famous for his mental acuity. Look at him now.”
The Fox News host then cut into Biden’s rally in Maryland, where Carlson clearly hoped the president would misspeak or at least verbally stumble.
“We’re gonna take you now to a live shot of that same man to give you some sense of the longterm effects of Donald Trump’s vaccine,” Carlson said. “Here he is speaking this moment in the state of Maryland. Watch this.”
Biden didn’t oblige.
“Do you want to put your social security in the hands of Ted Cruz and Marjorie Taylor Greene?” Biden asked rally-goers. “I mean it. But it’s not just social security. Senator Scott wants everything in the federal budget voted on de novo every five years – it goes out of existence. That includes Medicare, veterans benefits, and everything else. Then, along comes Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin–”
Back in studio, Carlson tried to make the most of a poor hand.
(Exerpt) Read more in: Mediaite