Fox News host Tucker Carlson came out in defense of Matt Damon on Friday night for suggesting the actions of disgraced comedian Louis C.K. were less bad than other recent cases of sexual misconduct.
During an interview with ABC News on Dec. 14, Damon downplayed the comedian “pleasuring himself” in front of women by saying, “I don’t know Louis C.K, I’ve never met him. I’m a fan of him, but I don’t imagine he’s going to do those things again. You know what I mean? I image the price that he has paid at this point is so beyond … I just think we have to start delineating with what these behaviors are.”
“Ask yourself, and be honest, how much of that do you actually disagree with?” he asked on Friday’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” “How much is hateful or immoral or otherwise beyond the pale? None of it? Exactly.
“There’s not a single sentiment in that entire paragraph that’s not defensible or that 90 percent of the American population would find over the top or outrageous. It’s all within bounds, or it would have been last year.”
The Fox host went on to say that because of Twitter users who don’t like it, “the rest of us have to pretend that Matt Damon is somehow guilty of something awful. And if we don’t pretend, we may ourselves be seen as collaborators of whatever crimes he supposedly committed and forced to share his punishment. It’s terrifying and it’s corrupting. This is how reason dies.”
He pointed to actress Rose McGowan as an example of the fervor that has developed in large part because of her social media following.
“Actress Rose McGowan ordered the media to stop using the word ‘alleged’ when describing claims of sexual misconduct. In other words, everyone accused is guilty,” Carlson added. “If you deny that, you’re guilty, too. Weirdly, almost nobody in the media pushed back against Rose McGowan’s demand. Before long, they may have to obey here. She has almost a million twitter followers. She’s calling the shots.”
The remarks sparked a social media firestorm which continues to this day
13 Most-Watched Fox News Shows Since Tucker Carlson Replaced Bill O'Reilly (Photos)
Bill O’Reilly dominated the cable news industry for nearly two decades, finishing No. 1 in all of cable news for 16 straight years. But his sudden exit resulted in a programming shakeup at Fox News Channel.
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Fox News fired O’Reilly back in April amid sexual harassment allegations and “Tucker Carlson Tonight” was shifted from 9 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET to replace “The O’Reilly Factor,” while other shows were also moved as a result. Check out the 13 most-watched programs (in reverse order) on Fox News among total viewers since the new lineup debuted on April 24.
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13. “Shepard Smith Reporting” Smith’s newscast averaged 1.5 million total viewers from April 24 through June 8 as one of Fox News Channel’s most recognizable personalities.
11. “America's News HQ” The weekday newscast is often the post-game show for Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s White House briefings and averaged 1.5 million viewers from April 24 through June 8.
10. “Your World with Neil Cavuto” Cavuto’s loyal fan base tunes in weekdays for his mixture of political and financial news and averaged 1.6 million viewers since the network shook up its lineup.
9. "Fox & Friends" Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade and Ainsley Earhardt co-host the morning show that is often complimented by President Trump during early morning Twitter sessions. “Fox & Friends” has averaged 1.6 million viewers, and at least one is typically in the White House.
8. "Outnumbered" The noon ET show features four female Fox News personalities and “One Lucky Guy” discussing the day’s headlines. Harris Faulkner and Meghan McCain are regular co-hosts of the show that averaged 1.7 million viewers from April 24 through June 8.
7. “America’s Newsroom” Shannon Bream replaced Martha MacCallum, who moved to 7 p.m. ET, as Bill Hemmer’s co-host on the morning show that has averaged 1.9 million viewers since April 24.
6. “The Fox News Specialists” Eric Bolling, Katherine Timpf and Eboni K. Williams co-host the new show that replaced “The Five” in the 5 p.m. ET timeslot. “The Specialists” has averaged 1.9 million viewers per episode with a variety of guests offering voices from both sides of the political aisle.
5. “The Story” Martha MacCallum originally had the 7 p.m. ET timeslot on a temporary basis for Trump’s first 100 days in office, but her show was made permanent and rebranded as “The Story” when the network revamped its schedule. She has averaged 2 million viewers per broadcast since the change.
4. “Special Report” Bret Baier’s nightly newscast continues to be a staple of the network’s lineup, averaging 2.2 million viewers per night from April 24 through June 8 despite new programs bookending “Special Report.”
3. “The Five” Greg Gutfeld, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Dana Perino, Jesse Waters and Juan Williams were shifted from 5 p.m. ET to primetime during the network’s schedule overhaul and “The Five” continued to be a ratings success, averaging 2.4 million viewers in its new slot.
2. “Hannity” Sean Hannity is arguably the most recognizable host on the network these days and his pro-Trump program has averaged 2.5 million viewers since “The Five” became its lead in.
1. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Carlson has been the most-watched show on Fox News since replacing O’Reilly in the 8 p.m. ET timeslot, averaging 2.7 million viewers per evening.
From Martha MacCallum to ”The Specialists,“ the network was forced to shake things up
Bill O’Reilly dominated the cable news industry for nearly two decades, finishing No. 1 in all of cable news for 16 straight years. But his sudden exit resulted in a programming shakeup at Fox News Channel.