Tucker Carlson scorches ‘stupid’ Australian journalist during Canberra visit

An exchange between colourful US political journalist Tucker Carlson and a Canberra reporter has gone viral in America.

Conservative America is revelling in an exchange between one of their favourite sons and a combative Australian journalist that’s gone viral.

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is currently touring Down Under as a guest of Clive Palmer and took questions from the media after making a speech at the Australian Freedom Conference at the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra on Tuesday.

He found a willing dance partner in AAP Newswire’s Kat Wong, who wasted no time in attempting to get under the 55-year-old’s skin.

Wong asked Carlson about his immigration views, saying he had “talked” about the “Great Replacement Theory” and how “white Australians, Americans and Europeans” are being replaced by “non-white immigrants”.

But Carlson immediately challenged the question.

“Whites are being replaced? I don’t think I said that,” he interjected.

“Well, it’s been mentioned on your show 4000 times,” Wong replied.

“Really? When did I say that? I said ‘whites’ are being replaced?” he responded.

When Wong insisted he had, Carlson challenged her to “cite that”.

“I said native-born Americans are being replaced, including blacks,” he continued.

“African-Americans have been in the United States, in many cases, for more than 400 years and their concerns are as every bit as real and valid and alive to me as the concerns of white people whose families have been there for 400 years.

“I’ve never said that ‘whites’ are being replaced. Not one time and you can’t cite it.”

When Wong said “I believe that’s untrue”, Carlson took it up a level.

Tucker Carlson raises his hands in exasperation at the line of questioning.

“We just met, but when our relationship starts with a lie, it makes it tough to be friends,” he said.

“You actually can’t cite it because I didn’t say it and I don’t believe it, and I’m telling you that to your face. So, why don’t you just accept me at face value?”

Carlson then took up the issue saying it was “immoral” for political leaders to “shift their concern” from people born in their countries to people “around the world” to solve population growth.

“In my view, happy people have children,” he said. “And a functioning economy allows them to do that.”

“So you need to fix the economy and fix the culture so the people who want to have kids can,” he continued. “You don’t just go for the quick sugar fix of importing new people. That’s my position and if you think that’s racist, that’s your problem.”

Wong replied by saying “I never called you a racist” but it only fired Carlson up more.

“But of course, you are suggesting … I must say one of the reasons why people don’t like people like you in the media is that you never say exactly what you mean,” Carlson said.

“Your slurs are all by implication. You’re about to tell me the Great Replacement Theory is racist or antisemitic, whatever. I’ve said what I’ve said to you right now like 100 times in public.

“I hope to, if I live long enough, to say it 100 more times. I think it’s completely honest and real, not racist or scary. It’s factually true. It’s not a theory, it’s a fact.

“And the whole point of your question is to say ‘I’m a scary racist’ and I’m saying ‘no, I’m not’. How about no more lying in your questions and then I’ll answer them.”

The former Fox News host openly laughed at one question.

But Wong poked the bear again by then saying the “same theory” had inspired a supermarket shooting in Buffalo, New York, in 2022, that cost 10 people their lives.

“Oh god, come on,” Carlson said. “How do they get people this stupid in the media? I guess it doesn’t pay well. Look, I’m sorry, I’ve lived among people like you for too long. I don’t mean to call you stupid, maybe you’re just pretending to be.

“But I’m totally against violence. I’m totally against the war in Ukraine, for example, which doubtless you support and, like all dutiful liberals, support more carnage. I don’t.

“I hate mass shootings, actually … What does it mean to inspire something? My views are not bigoted against any group. They’re honest. They’re factual. That’s not hate - that’s reality.

“My views derive from my deep concern for Americans, actually. Americans aren’t having kids because they can’t afford to. And nobody in charge cares. So that’s my position. That doesn’t inspire mass shootings. How dare you try to tie me to some lunatic who murdered people. How dare you, actually?”

But Wong wouldn’t stop. “Right, so therefore you support gun control?” she asked next.

“What?! I thought it couldn’t get dumber, but it did,” he said.

“No, I don’t support disarming law-abiding people so they can’t defend themselves, so the government has a monopoly on violence. I don’t think so.

“First of all, in my country, that’s illegal, as you know. But moreover, it should be illegal in every country. A sovereign person has the right to defend himself and his family, period. That said, I’m totally opposed to harming anyone, anyone.”

After further explaining his stance on gun control, Carlson was hit with one last zinger.

“So you don’t think you harbour any responsibility for these hate crimes,” Wong said.

“I’m sorry, I’m trying to be charitable,” Carlson laughed. “I was like, maybe you’re just pretending to be dumb. Now I don’t think it’s an act.”

He then hit out more broadly at the Australian media.

“I got here and the country is so unbelievably beautiful, and the people are so cheerful and funny, and cool, and smart.

“I’m like, ‘your media has got to be better than ours. It can’t just be a bunch of castrated robots reading questions from the boss’.

“And then it turns out it’s exactly the same. Maybe even a tiny bit dumber.”

The reaction by leading conservative accounts on X has been savage as the footage spreads across the US.

Tucker Carlson is touring Australia as a guest of mining magnate Clive Palmer. Picture: NewsWire/Glenn Campbell

“Holy sh*t Tucker Carlson just committed a homicide on live television,” the End Wokeness account tweeted.

Benny Johnson shared footage of the exchange with the caption: “Tucker NUKES Liberal ‘reporter’.”

Sky News Australia host Rita Panahi was also scathing in her criticism of Wong.

“If you are going to show up and make outrageous claims and try to connect Tucker Carlson to mass killers, then I don’t know, perhaps go to the trouble of citing a source, have a direct quote from the man,” Ms Panahi said.

“Otherwise, you are going to look like an absolute fool.”

Originally published as Tucker Carlson scorches ‘stupid’ Australian journalist during Canberra visit