‘This may be a lot of things, this moment we are living through, but it is definitely not about black lives…’
UPDATE: Following the revelation that advertisers have removed sponsorships for Tucker Carlson’s program on Fox News, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert tweeted gleefully in confirming his company’s decision:
It definitely is not. Bye-bye Tucker Carlson! #BlackLivesMatter
— Mike Sievert (@MikeSievert) June 10, 2020
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: (Michael Barnes, Liberty Headlines) Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson is paying a high price for reporting on Black Lives Matter in a manner that’s less than flattering — a decision that’s proved intolerable for five major corporate advertisers.
The host of Tucker Carlson Tonight has unleashed show-after-show of fearless truth-telling in regard to nationwide riots, widespread looting and violence, attacks on police, destruction of historical monuments and even the perceived weak response from President Donald Trump.
But criticizing Black Lives Matter—not African Americans—has made him a pariah.
Walt Disney, T-Mobile, Papa John’s, Vari and SmileDirectClub have all discontinued their ad spending on his weeknight prime-time show.
In one instance, Carlson claimed Black Lives Matter is a political party, “and it may be the strongest political party in the United States,” he said.
He’s also asked why opinions that are critical of mob violence are considered racist, and why looting and violence in the streets are considered free speech.
“Is America being ripped apart by total lies—destroyed by cynical media manipulators and unscrupulous politicians who understand that racial strife is their path to power? You can decide what’s really going on,” he said last week.
In response, T-Mobile tweeted: “We haven’t run ads on Tucker Carlson Tonight since early May and have cancelled all future placements. We will continue to support those who stand against racial injustice.”
Disney also responded, saying commercials were placed “without our knowledge by third-party media buyers who were unaware that we do not advertise on the show.”
Carlson, whose show netted an average of 4.19 million nightly viewers last month, remains unfazed.
“This may be a lot of things, this moment we are living through, but it is definitely not about black lives—and remember that when they come for you, and at this rate, they will,” he said.
Partisan journalists and political activists regularly attempt to cancel media personalities and unsuspecting people who deviate from the progressive status quo. Attacking advertisers and employers has proved a useful, if ruthless, tactic.
When pressed about Carlson’s use of the words “they” and “come for you,” insinuating racism, a statement from Fox News Channel clarified that Carlson was referring to Democratic Party leaders and other activist left-wing power-brokers.
Interestingly, the Fox spokesman confirmed that the advertising dollars that pulled from Tucker Carlson Tonight weren’t actually pulled from the network. Instead, the funding was repurposed to other Fox News programs.
Carlson defiantly tweeted encouragement to his audience members to stay strong in the face of politically-correct adversity—and to stay tuned.
This is not a time to submit. Just tell the truth. Watch if you missed tonight’s show. https://t.co/Jdb0YkGM3Q
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 9, 2020