Published May 22, 2020
This is a rush transcript from "Tucker Carlson Tonight," May 22, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS HOST: Good evening and welcome to TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT Live Special.
Months from now, if and when we're finally able to assess this pandemic rationally and honestly, it'll be clear that it was mostly a disaster for the old and the sick. Thirty-year-old in Brooklyn have made the most noise, flooding the Internet with their neuroses.
But it is old people who have really suffered. About a third of all deaths in this country so far have occurred in long-term care facilities. We told you a lot about the tragedy unfolding in New York.
As of tonight, almost 6,000 nursing home residents have died there after Governor Andrew Cuomo forced facilities to admit infected patients.
But it's not only happening in New York. In New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts for example, deaths in nursing homes account for more than half of the statewide totals.
So, if you're old and in a facility, this virus has been genuinely dangerous.
But the real story is even worse than that, thanks to bad policies.
Many nursing homes have banned all visits from relatives even those who have tested negative for the coronavirus. That means for millions of aging Americans, lockdowns equals suffering alone, marooned in isolation, away from children and grandchildren, often in the final days of their lives.
It's hard to imagine anything sadder than that, but in fact, there is something sadder. No visitors means no real supervision. No one who cares about the elderly can check in and see how they're doing. This is an invitation to the most awful kinds of abuse.
Take a look at this video. It's from the Westwood Nursing Center in Detroit. We warn you -- and we don't say this lightly -- it is highly upsetting. We think you should see it because it's real.
[VIDEO CLIP PLAYS]
CARLSON: It goes on like that for 90 seconds, but we'll spare you. The monster throwing those punches is 20 years old. The helpless resident he is smashing in the face is 75.
Westwood Nursing Center says it had no idea the assault even happened. The video went up on social media and apparently, it was posted by the proud attacker himself. People saw it and called police, they arrested him. He's in jail tonight.
Police will not tell us his name. It's not clear why. He deserves to be famous.
What is clear is that the Westwood Nursing Center was a scary place even before this assault took place.
A 2019 Medicare inspection of the facility found that a resident had vomited on a curtain. Two weeks later, Westwood staff still hadn't replaced or even cleaned it.
Imagine all of the inspectors didn't find. We will help you imagine.
This video is from a nursing home outside Peoria, Illinois. It was recorded in 2015. An elderly man beaten to the ground by a staff member.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This video is from a care facility in Creve Coeur. Watch the 84-year-old man. He comes into the room with his walker and tries to get something out of a drawer.
Police say the caregiver, Ernestine Cobbins struggles with him and then throws him to the floor. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured.
Officers reviewed the tape, Cobbins was charged with third degree elderly abuse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: Imagine doing that to a man with a walker. The woman who did it, who committed that crime is free today. In fact, she is still in the healthcare business. You can look up her LinkedIn page online. We just did about 10 minutes ago and she looks perfectly content in her picture.
And then there are these three nursing home employees in North Carolina. They're accused of staging fistfights between dementia patients for their own amusement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They uncovered two separate incidents. In one, 32- year-old Marilyn McKey is accused of physically assaulting a 73-year-old resident, pushing her into a room while 20-year-old Tonacia Tyson, and 26- year-old Taneshia Jordan filmed the encounter and did not help.
In another incident, all three are accused of encouraging a fight between two residents ages 70 and 73. Not only did the workers not stop the fight, they filmed it.
The staff members reportedly captured on the video saying punch her in the face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: That happened just this fall. From what we can tell, none of these women is currently in jail tonight. Apparently the crime wasn't serious enough. It's not like they tried to open a gym in New Jersey or dared to walk on dry sand in Los Angeles.
And by the way, these are not isolated incidents, far from it. Consider the following headlines. They're all from last year. "Florida woman accused of raping man with dementia at nursing home."
"Nursing assistant who raped patients sentenced to 12 years in prison."
"Everett man has history of raping patients, prosecutors say."
"Hillcrest nursing home faces $50 million lawsuit over rape of elderly woman."
And then in Seattle, a nursing assistant was arrested after being caught on camera repeatedly sexually assaulting a patient. Once again, the nursing home didn't even know what happened. They didn't detect the crime because no one was watching.
The victim's family was suspicious so they put a camera in the room.
In Texas, a nurse called Billy Chemirmir was arrested for murdering patients. Police say he killed more than 20 elderly people before anyone noticed. Again, all of that happened in a single year last year, 2019.
So, what's happening in nursing homes right now? Well, we don't really know. That's the point. Family and loved ones aren't allowed in to see. Chances are, they would be heartbroken if they knew.
How did this tragedy happen? It wasn't by accident. Our politicians did it. They did it to the most vulnerable people in our society, the ones who have earned the greatest respect. The Americans who actually did build this country.
Now, our helpless elderly are locked in stinking cells, cut off from the only ones who love them. Some of them as we said, are raped and beaten. Thousands and thousands have died alone.
They don't deserve this and the rest of us don't deserve the leaders whose neglect and bad judgment made it possible.
Charles Camosy is a Professor of Theological and Social Ethics at Fordham University. He is the author of the book "Resisting Throwaway Culture," and he joins us tonight. Professor, thanks so much for coming on.
It does seem like -- I understand the reasoning behind wanting to isolate people in nursing homes, but it does seem like a thoughtful politician would wonder what it would be like to be locked away alone with no one visiting you.
So, why couldn't we test family before they go visit their loved ones in nursing homes?
CHARLES CAMOSY, PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL ETHICS, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY: Tucker, this is bigger than one politician. It is a monster issue. Speaking as an Ethics Professor, I just want to make this really global point.
I think a lot about historical moments, history calling us to act on behalf of the most vulnerable. Civil rights, pro-life movement -- history is calling us again, Tucker.
Nobody can watch that intro that you just did, and not hear the voice of history calling us to act.
The pandemic is forcing us to look at places we don't want to look, and by God, there are good nursing homes out there. We don't want to say otherwise.
CARLSON: Oh, for sure.
CAMOSY: But now that we know the scope of the problem and the gravity of the problem, the only question is, what are we going to do about it? What are we going to do about it?
CARLSON: You know, you look -- we checked this afternoon because the more I thought about the more upset I got, and so many of the people arrested last year; in fact, every single one we could track down was free. No one was serving a jail sentence and you think of the things that people go to jail for. What does that say?
CAMOSY: Well, in my book, "Resisting Throwaway Culture," I try to argue that what's behind this is we have throwaway people.
We have prenatal children we throw away. We have sick people we throw away through euthanasia. We have people we throw away through hookup culture and through -- in our jails and prison systems. This is the next one.
This is the -- this is literally a throwaway culture. We put people away so we get plausible deniability about our own death and dying and those of our family members, so we don't have to think about it.
Now, we're forced to look at it and this is one of the silver linings -- there aren't many -- of the pandemic, but one silver lining is, we are now forced to look.
CARLSON: That is such a deep point. So, your view is that we ignore end-of- life questions because we don't want to consider the end of our own lives.
CAMOSY: I don't need to tell you, Tucker, we have a youth worshipping, death denying culture that tries to revel in the moment and especially as we move away from transcendent views about our ultimate reality.
We tend to live in that moment even more, and our death becomes that much more frightening, and especially those of our family members, too. And we push it off literally to the places you just highlighted.
And now we have to ask, are we going to move to welcome these people back into our homes, if we can? Are we going to move to demand from government, Medicare and Medicaid to actually pay these people who work in these homes a living wage?
Are we going to move as media to cover these stories? You're leading with this today, but 50 percent of the deaths -- that "Washington Post" said 50 percent of the deaths from COVID 19 were people who were in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities.
You would think that 50 percent of the coverage would then cover those stories, but it's not even close to that. So, thank you for leading with it tonight, but we actually need the media to step up and report out these stories.
CARLSON: Why is that? It almost seems like people are admitting they don't care about the deaths of older people who are shunted away in these facilities, but then they are, you know, focused on the relatively small percentage of people who were younger.
I mean, it just seems so disproportionate to me.
CAMOSY: I don't know. Is it too cynical to say that doesn't make a lot of money? I mean, how much money does discovering nursing home deaths make media organizations?
I mean, it's expensive to do, and this is one thing that is really -- our media has really suffered from especially investigative reporting -- it's expensive to do investigative reporting.
CARLSON: Yes, it is.
CAMOSY: We may not have the resources especially if we're guided by clicks and advertising revenue.
CARLSON: I think you're right and I think this is really important. And I think your point about denying our own mortality being at the center of this is absolutely right. Thank you for saying it.
Professor, good to see you tonight.
CAMOSY: Thanks, Tucker.
CARLSON: Well, for months now, Dr. Anthony Fauci has been one of the most persuasive and powerful voices in favor of the coronavirus lockdowns.
Now, suddenly he seems to have pivoted 180 degrees. He is warning that the lockdowns could hurt people irreparably if they continue.
Dave Portnoy noticed this. He thinks it's as weird as we do. He'll react after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CARLSON: Welcome back to tonight's live special. Dr. Anthony Fauci has done more than maybe any other American official to promote long-term nationwide quarantines, the lockdowns that are destroying our economy.
Fauci suggested that handshakes should go away forever. He told Congress that reopening schools next fall might be a bad idea.
But then today, Fauci seemed to wobble. Here's what he said in an interview with CNBC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We can stay locked down for such a considerable period of time, that you might do irreparable damage and have unintended consequences including consequences for help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: Oh, irreparable damage, unintended consequences. It might have been nice to hear a little bit more of that months ago when it actually mattered, back when doctors were being kicked off of YouTube for saying exactly the same thing.
Barstool Sports President, Dave Portnoy noticed and had these thoughts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE PORTNOY, PRESIDENT, BARSTOOL SPORTS: This is my homeboy, Fauci. I just did a rant that like went viral, literally like last week, because you're like, if we open up the country, everyone's going to [bleep] die. I'm paraphrasing, but that's like what he said.
Now, I put a little [bleep] heat on him and he go like, we have to open or we're going to die if we stay inside. Now, it's just -- the wind blows. And he's like, okay, no, no, no, we can't stay in forever, it causes irreparable damage if we stay.
What is it, Fauci? Pick a [bleep] side, or at least say you don't know what the [bleep] you're talking about? Like if nobody knows anything, then what the [bleep] are we doing?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: Dave Portnoy has been locked indoors for a couple of months in New York City. He joins us tonight via Skype. Nicely put, Dave.
So what is it? So, you're sitting at home, you're monitoring this. You've got a special interest because you are quarantined yourself. What did you make of what Fauci said?
PORTNOY: Well, I mean, I was taken off guard and first of all, I did escape to Nantucket that's why I didn't have the suit and tie of the Team Portnoy.
But, you know, I thought he was taking crazy pills for a second, I really did.
And listen, I don't mean to pile on Fauci, but we're making very important decisions based on what he is saying. And I think it's okay to say, I really don't know, guys. But I get the feeling if you asked him this question, or what's one plus one equals? You're going to get seven different answers.
It's okay to say you don't know. That's kind of my point. I don't think anybody really knows the true answers. It's a moving target. It's a disease we've never met with before, but that's why I think at this point, you'll let people, individuals make decisions for themselves because nobody knows.
The only thing, as I said before, that we absolutely know for certain is if you continue the quarantine, if you continue the lockdown, tons of people are going to lose their livelihoods.
Those people should have the choice to make the decision rather than depend on things that -- listen, Fauci maybe the nicest guy in the world, but he said wear masks, don't wear mask. He said, you know, the lockdowns, they are going to go on indefinitely, we're going to end the lockdown.
So, it's just tough to really put that much stake in what he is saying when -- I just don't think he knows. Maybe Trump just got him in a room and shook him. He is like, today, you say this.
So, I don't know. But it's tough to take it seriously when you literally say the exact opposite.
And we're not talking months, we're talking days apart. What changed?
CARLSON: So, look, I think your point about not really knowing what the truth is an absolutely fair and important one and I've certainly been wrong on this show a bunch of different times. But I admit it because I know that people have YouTube and they can check.
Fauci comes on and acts like he has always been saying this when two days ago, he was saying the opposite. Shouldn't he at least acknowledge the change?
PORTNOY: Absolutely. And you know, any politician or anybody in general, I would much prefer somebody --
First of all, I have no problem saying, guess what? I don't know. I'd rather that.
CARLSON: Right.
PORTNOY: But if you have a strong opinion, say it, and if you're wrong, then say, hey, hand up. I'm the first one, I like to break my arm when I make a mistake.
And you know what? American people, they appreciate that. They want to know when you're wrong. I invested in a Chinese company, you probably hate me for, Baba, it tanked today. It was a revolution.
Guess what? I made the wrong move. You have to just say it. Own up to it. No one is expecting any human being to be perfect, but when you say a very important statement and act like it never happened and say something different, it raises, you know, everyone is like, what is he doing?
I don't know that he is doing it intentionally, but either take aside or say I don't know and acknowledge when you make a mistake. That's how you trust.
Because right now, I don't trust what he says. I don't know how anybody could -- and again, I don't know it's intentional. I just honestly think this thing moves on.
And if you go -- I mean, there's videos of Fauci all through this. He's on different sides depending on the day depending on mood like, I said, the way the wind blows, we're making seemingly life-changing decisions for other people based on facts that clearly are not facts.
CARLSON: Well, exactly. So yesterday, Fauci did an interview with Julia Roberts, not the journalist, but the actress. Did that make you trust him more or less?
PORTNOY: I mean, there's an element that you'd want your lead doctor on pandemic not going with a Hollywood starlet, but it doesn't -- you know, he's got a believable face.
CARLSON: He does.
PORTNOY: Listen, if you put him in front of me and I didn't know all the mismatched stuff, I'd be like, I trust him. He looks smart.
But I'm paying attention to the words. I want to say talking to Julia Roberts, listen, I like "Pretty Woman" as much as the next guy, so I'm not going to hold that against him.
CARLSON: I totally agree about the way he looks. When I see Fauci on TV with the sound off, I think, I believe that guy, and he does come off as a nice person.
We've interviewed him on the show. It's nothing personal. But I think people have listened so long because he looks like the guy you would listen to -- very smart. Dave Portnoy.
PORTNOY: He absolutely looks like an expert and to be honest, every single, you know, question or speech, he sounds like an expert.
Like if they're all one-offs, I'll be like, okay, I'll listen and I'll believe.
But now they're setting up footage, everyone is locked inside and they're hanging on what he says. Like when he goes in front the Senate and says, if we open too quickly, there's going to be mass damage and death.
Those are heavy, heavy words to then go say the exact opposite a week later. It is almost the gravity of what he says in the moment. It's almost like he's losing it. He has got to be very careful with the words because again, what he says I feel like is what a lot of states are basing their reopening on.
CARLSON: That's exactly right.
PORTNOY: And it changes -- so what information, what model? It's always a moving target and what we've got to remember is, again, I don't think anyone really knows the answer.
But it's tough then to tell a business owner, hey, you're going to lose your business because of what Fauci said, and the guy is like, well, at what point? When -- when or what yardstick are we using? Or what day are we using what Fauci said?
CARLSON: I think at this point, I trust Julia Roberts more. Dave Portnoy, great to see you.
PORTNOY: Well, she is very believable. She's a very believable American. That's what's important, at least be in for something and then admit when you're wrong, but Julia Roberts, very, very believable.
CARLSON: Very. Good to see you, man.
PORTNOY: You, too.
CARLSON: Well, to the extent you think about race at all, and let's hope you don't think about it too much, you probably assume it's determined by your ancestry.
But Joe Biden says you're wrong. He says he is the one who decides what race you are. We'll show you the tape.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CARLSON: Joe Biden's attendance let him off the leash this morning and they're likely still regretting it. Biden made an appearance on a black- themed radio show called "The Breakfast Club" out of New York.
The point, of course, was to pander -- that's Biden's specialty. But these days, Biden has trouble calibrating his level of toadying. Even by his standards, he may have gone too far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want A larger share the black vote than anybody has, including Barack.
I come from a state that has the eighth largest black population in America.
They're the folks as they said it my way, "Brung me to the dance." That's how I get elected.
I get overwhelming support from the black leadership, young and old.
I was the only white employee in the East side because I wanted to work in the projects. That's what this is all about for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: For 50 years, Joe Biden has lived in one of the single whitest suburbs in America outside Wilmington, Delaware -- Greenville.
In 1975, Biden traded one enormous house built by the DuPont family for another even larger DuPont estate, this one with a gate across the entrance. The main house alone measured over 10,000 square feet.
So, when Biden says this is where I come from, here is what he's talking about.
Look carefully at that picture. Not many black people near Joe Biden's house. Never have been. Again, it's gated.
So, given his lack of personal exposure to diversity, Biden may be forgiven for thinking that all black people love drug dealers. He clearly thinks that.
No one should be going to jail for a drug crime, period, Biden said, as if every African-American voter in this country yearns to see more fentanyl dealers on the street. But Biden wasn't done.
When you're the personal savior of black America, there is no such thing as rest. You've got work to do. In Biden's case, that means deciding who is and who is not black, separating the legitimate black people from the fake black people. That's Joe Biden's job. He has that power. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a long way until November. We've got more questions.
BIDEN: You got more questions? But I'll tell you, if you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or for Trump. Then you ain't black.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Polls can be illusions, though. Like, you know, we looked at all the polls in 2016, too and look what happened.
BIDEN: Totally different, man, 2016 is totally different. Come on, man. Give me a little break here. This is where I come from, and you guys are wondering what are we -- what is he doing? Come on, man. Get life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: So, for decades, Deroy Murdock of "National Review" believed he was black. This morning, Joe Biden told him otherwise. It was a rude awakening. He is still recovering from the shock of that. Deroy Murdock joins us now in bewilderment.
Deroy, great to have you. So, what did you make of this news from Joe Biden?
DEROY MURDOCK, NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE: Come on, man.
CARLSON: Joe Biden told you that it all depends on who you vote for.
MURDOCK: Yes. No, this is interesting. You know, I have a degree in government and I've been a political commentator for years. But I guess, there must be a power of the Constitution that is branded to me which is the ability to decide who is and who isn't black, and I guess, Joe Biden has got that, so, that's really quite amazing.
I don't know if he uses a magic wand or quite how he discerns this, but more seriously, this is a -- it was a truly racist thing he said today.
He'd never say something like, well, you know, if you're for Trump, rather than for me, you ain't white. He'd never say such a thing. He'd say, read my speeches. He'd say, watch my shaky videos out of my bunker in Delaware. He wouldn't say such a thing.
But of course, being a typical Democrat, his view is if you're black, then you're supposed to kowtow to the entire liberal agenda, the Democratic agenda and you're not allowed to think on your own, have your own points of view, make up your own mind. That's something I guess is just reserved for white people.
CARLSON: Yes, it does seem almost mind bogglingly patronizing. One of the few policy promises that he made was to prevent anyone from going to jail for a drug crime.
Now, you can make the case that you shouldn't put people in jail for low level drug crimes. That's a fair position in my opinion, but any drug crime he seems to think that black America has no problem with drug dealing.
And I've interviewed a ton of people as a police reporter who would say, I don't want crack dealers on my street. Like why wouldn't you want crack dealers on your street? Why doesn't Biden understand that?
MURDOCK: Absolutely correct. Well, you'd think he would understand that. And as you say, there's a difference between, you know, the criminal justice reform effort where you have some mercy for people who are involved in, you know, first time nonviolent offenses, but you've got your drug dealers who are very violent, very dangerous.
And the idea that black folks just want them running through their neighborhoods, I think is totally mistaken.
I guess if you live in that kind of a state as Biden does, they would be pretty much detached from that kind of a thing.
CARLSON: Well, that kind of, is it. I mean, wouldn't -- why doesn't anybody ever go on the left, go on a radio show like this and just make like a straightforward explanation of what they are for.
I mean, is this level of pandering, is it effective? It's certainly ugly to watch and again, patronizing, I feel like.
MURDOCK: Well, it's ugly. And this is again, for the people who say, oh, President Trump is so divisive and so on. This is a divisive comment. It was certainly was divisive back in August 2012, when Biden said to a group of black voters in Virginia that if Mitt Romney got elected President, he is going to put you all back in chains.
And by the way, you notice when people like Biden talk to black folks, they were going at that Southern drawl for some reason, as if all black people live in the south.
You know, Hillary Clinton does this sort of thing when she talks to black audiences, which again, is very, very demeaning and patronizing and condescending.
CARLSON: Come on, man. Yes, it is. It is demeaning, actually. Deroy Murdock, I hope you've recovered from the shock. Great to see you tonight.
MURDOCK: I'm feeling better already. Thank you, Tucker.
CARLSON: Good. Well, the F.B.I. just revealed the name of a Saudi official directly linked to the 9/11 attacks, but they did it by accident.
Why have they been keeping that from us all of this -- all these years? It's been almost 20 years. Why haven't they told us? That's next on tonight's live special.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CARLSON: Welcome back to our live special.
In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, all of us vowed to get to the bottom of what happened. The authorities were going to find and punish the people responsible.
But somewhere along the way, we lost the thread. That goal was replaced by cynicism and secrecy -- a lot of secrecy. No one has ever explained why.
But for years, the families of 9/11 victims have been pursuing a lawsuit against the Saudi government. They believe it was complicit in the attacks.
And for the whole span of that period, the United States government -- again, it's not clear why has prevented the declassification of critical documents, including identification of a Saudi official believed to have assisted two of the 9/11 hijackers.
Last week, though, finally, the F.B.I. revealed his name and they did it accidentally. His name is Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarraha. He worked at the Saudi Embassy from 1999 to 2000.
Brett Eagleson is one of the 9/11 family members suing Saudi Arabia. He joins us tonight. Brett, thanks so much for coming on the show tonight.
Who is this guy? Give us a super quick explanation of why we should care about his identity.
BRETT EAGLESON, FAMILY MEMBER OF 9/11 VICTIM: Sure. And Tucker, thank you very much. Before I go any further, I just want to say thank you again for covering the story. Why are you the only primetime host covering this? I don't know and we will never know.
CARLSON: Because I am enraged. I am enraged that's why.
EAGLESON: It's unbelievable. You have the Attorney General of the United States weighing in on civil litigation, invoking state secrets, like it's almost as if, who are they? And why are they weighing in on this? It's almost as if like, oh, they have information about something that they can't trust us with, or we're not, you know, mature enough to know it.
So anyway, I digress. The point is that --
CARLSON: Well, actually, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but let me stop you there. You don't digress. That's at the core of my interest here. What are they hiding? They're not protecting the Saudis? I don't believe that for a second. I don't.
Something is going on here. They're lying for a reason. And what is that? And I'm so I don't know the answer, but there is one. What do you think it is?
EAGLESON: Tucker, it's disgusting. I lost my dad on 9/11. There are thousands of other people who have lost loved ones and family members and to find out, you know, we know the Saudis are murderous thugs. Okay. That's one thing.
But to find out that our own government is taking their side in court, they are submitting in private briefings. The C.I.A. and the Department of Justice are submitting in-camera private briefings to the judge behind our backs. Nobody can see it.
Then they have this blunder where this guy's name come out. What's so secret about that? His name came out and the sky is not falling. Pandora's Box is not open. Who is this guy Jarraha?
He was living and working in Washington, D.C. He was traveling all over the country. He was coordinating with the hijackers.
There is a hierarchy of command. Jarraha right down to the hijackers handlers in LA, right down to the hijackers. So, why is this a secret? Why is this case shrouded in secrecy? Why are you the only one talking about this?
This should be done dominating news. This shouldn't be headline news. It's 9/11. It's the largest attack on America's soil, and our government is siding with the Saudis. It's unbelievable.
CARLSON: And not just this government, but the government before this government and the government before that. So, there has been a great long chain.
So, they're protecting some secret, and I'm not a conspiracy nut. I'm just the opposite of a conspiracy nut. I'm an open minded person.
But there's something going on here and I like the Attorney General, but I wish he would come on the show and explain so we can understand what the hell they're doing and why.
EAGLESON: I wish the Attorney General would take a meeting with us and explain if you're going to stab us in the back, at least look me in the eye and tell me why that you're siding with the Saudis in this case.
And Tucker, you make a great point. It started with Bush. It was perpetuated by Obama and Trump, the jury is still out.
You know, he hasn't helped us yet, but I'm appealing to the President of the United States tonight. He needs to know what his Department of Justice is doing.
He needs to know that Grenell and Attorney General Barr are misleading him. Why are we continually siding with the Saudis? We have clear evidence.
Al-Jarraha was living in Washington, D.C. He was facilitating -- he was communicating. We have phone records. We have mountains of evidence on the Saudi complicity in 9/11.
And when we don't hold them accountable, things like Pensacola happen, and it goes -- and the list goes on and on and on and it's time for us to stand up. We are Americans. We're all -- time to put our big boy pants on, Tucker.
Our government shouldn't be telling us what we're capable of understanding. They shouldn't be protecting any types of secrets.
CARLSON: Yes, I mean -- and again, I like Ric Grenell a lot. I think he has done a lot of good stuff. And I like the Attorney General of the United States, but I don't like this and I don't know why they're doing this, and I think we have an absolute right as American citizens to demand an answer and God bless you, Brett for demanding it and we're rooting for you. Thank you for coming on tonight.
EAGLESON: Thank you, Tucker. Thank you. I really appreciate it.
CARLSON: Well, when Robert Mueller testified before Congress last summer, he was questioned about the makeup of his investigative team which he put together.
If the Mueller investigation was a by the book non-partisan operation designed to get to the truth, why did the team wind up 13 Democrats and zero Republicans other done Mueller himself, who supposedly is a Republican -- 13 to none.
In particular, Mueller was questioned about his deputy, the guy it seems like who really ran the whole thing, Federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann.
Now, Mueller was unambiguous in his response. He said, no matter who these people vote for, all of them are totally apolitical.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Andrew Weissmann is one of your top attorneys.
ROBERT MUELLER, FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL: Yes.
QUESTION: Did Weissmann have a role in selecting other members of your team?
MUELLER: He had some role, but not a major role.
QUESTION: Andrew Weissmann attended Hillary Clinton's election night party. Did you know that before or after he came onto the team?
MUELLER: I don't know when I found that out.
QUESTION: Okay.
MUELLER: I've been in this business for almost 25 years and in those 25 years, I have not had occasion once to ask somebody about their political affiliation. It is not done.
What I care about is the capability of the individual to do the job and do the job quickly and seriously and with integrity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: It is not done. Spare us your idiocy and your pomposity. The press, of course fell for it completely despite the existence of Peter Strzok and his text messages, "The Los Angeles Times" lectured us that there was "no evidence" quote, of political bias anywhere in the Mueller investigation.
Fortunately, however, the actual members of the team couldn't help but reveal what they really thought.
In November, Andrew Weissmann decided to make his former boss, Robert Mueller look ridiculous. He signed on as an MSNBC legal analyst, and immediately put in work to revive the Russia conspiracy nutty lunacy. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW WEISSMANN, AMERICAN ATTORNEY: Why wasn't the President and Ambassador Sondland worried about the fact that the Russians would undoubtedly in Ukraine be able to hear this conversation?
QUESTION: What are the scenarios? Why wouldn't they be?
WEISSMANN: Well, the issue would be because if, Ari's point, which is if you're sitting there thinking, I don't really care because the Russians are going to be siding with me in the 2020 election, then you're on the same team.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: Yes, so that guy put people in prison. No, the system is not broken or anything. Now, he's a MSNBC legal analyst.
Now, Weissmann has decided he didn't do enough to undermine the credibility of the investigation he worked for. So, he has become a political activist, and we're not using that phrase, in any sense, but the literal sense.
Two weeks from now, on June 2nd, Weissmann will be headlining a fundraiser for Joe Biden. He will be joining Biden for so-called fireside chats, sounds very intimate.
Weissmann obviously has the right to his own political views, and we're happy that they're public instead of remaining hidden as they were.
But let's stop pretending the Mueller investigation was a neutral factual inquiry. It was not. It was a politically motivated witch hunt, with the people leading it that was inevitable.
Let's stop lying about that. It's clearly true.
While all of us can do our best to enjoy Memorial Day this weekend, but across the country, leaders are doing their best to sabotage your holiday, and you need one.
Dr. Siegel will join us to go through the rules still in place across America as our special continues tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CARLSON: It's Memorial Day weekend. Thank, heaven. In a normal year, it would be the best chance to travel with your family and spend time together on the road, but it's 2020.
That means millions of Americans are still living under suffocating coronavirus restrictions.
The one and only Dr. Marc Siegel of NYU Langone joins us to run through some of them and what they might mean for your holiday weekend.
Dr. Siegel, great to see you.
DR. MARC SIEGEL, FOX NEWS MEDICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Hi, Tucker. You know, we've established on this show that lockdowns don't work. In fact, the three countries that are leading the world in the number of cases, United States, Italy and Brazil all have severe lockdowns, and yet they have the most cases and deaths.
So, now as we start to relieve the lockdowns slightly, look at the stupidity that's being employed here.
I have three examples. Here in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio says he is going to open the beaches. Hooray for Memorial Day weekend.
But if anyone tries to swim, he says, quote, "They're going to be pulled out of the water."
Now if there's a danger to your health, it isn't COVID-19 on that beach, it's his guy pulling you out of the water. You might drown.
And by the way, social distancing is usually in effect when you swim, right? It's very safe. There's no coronavirus in the water. People don't swim close together. I think he should use those security people as lifeguards.
Second example. Both New York and New Jersey are going to allow tennis now. Hooray. But you know what, tennis? You have to play singles.
Now, if you're 70 years old, you may love tennis, but maybe you need doubles. Maybe you don't have the wind for singles anymore, Tucker.
Well, if they make you play singles, you could actually die, God forbid have a heart attack. So, to your health, the risk is much greater with the singles than from COVID-19.
So, let's think these things through.
Third, parades. My favorite thing on Memorial Day is parades, Tucker. All across the country, we celebrate our fallen warriors from the Revolutionary War forward, right?
Well, not this year. Parades are all being canceled across the United States, including in Bozeman, Montana, where there has been less than 500 deaths in the entire State of Montana and one death -- one death in the Bozeman area, they are not having the Memorial Day Parade.
So, how do we celebrate our fallen heroes? How do we celebrate them? I'll tell you how.
President Trump has an idea. Let's open the churches and the synagogues for Memorial Day. I'll tell you why that works. At least and will social distance in there, believe me, we're going to pray. If this can happen, we'll pray for the souls of our fallen heroes.
If we can't celebrate them in a parade, let's at least be able to pray for their souls -- Tucker.
CARLSON: It's like they're pushing us apart on purpose. Speaking of ridiculous responses. I got a text from a friend of mine just a minute ago who is driving from Washington, D.C. into Delaware and there was a roadblock. The backup went for miles and State Troopers are walking right up to every car and demanding that people quarantine for two weeks.
And her point was, if they're trying to arrest the spread of the virus, why are they walking up to every car? It was like -- it was -- is that effective virus control?
SIEGEL: No, of course not. And by the way, the next thing they're going to be asking for is immunity cards. It's going to be like science fiction. Show me your antibody and I'll let you in to the next state.
I mean, it's enough already. These measures don't work. Social distancing works. Lockdowns -- all of this stress leads people to take fewer precautions and the anxiety leads to more health issues.
We need to relax and enjoy Memorial Day. Let's have a barbecue. Let's pray for our fallen soldiers. Let's go to the beach and swim.
CARLSON: That's exactly right. Canceling every summer festival across the country, which is really the highlight of life in a lot of little towns is one of the cruelest and dumbest things I've ever seen happen -- ever.
Dr. Siegel, have the happiest Memorial Day. I appreciate everything.
CARLSON: Enjoy your barbecue. Thank you, Tucker.
CARLSON: Well, for two months, Americans have been deprived of their right to worship. That's a constitutional right. It's the most important constitutional right. Now across the country, believers are stepping up to reclaim it, and they have the support of the administration.
That's next on tonight's live special.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CARLSON: Welcome back. Freedom of religion is, of course, this country's bedrock right. It's the reason the country was founded in the first place. And of course, it's in the Constitution, right up there with freedom of speech.
Those in power have used coronavirus as an excuse to extinguish all of it. Churches were immediately closed all over the country, and people were threatened with arrest if they dared to worship. That's still the case in many states, despite plenty of evidence that lockdowns can be loosened without increasing infections. That's happened.
And despite many other businesses being allowed to reopen, many were never asked to close in the first place -- abortion clinics, liquor stores -- they were fine.
But across the country houses of worship are still shuttered by government decree.
Now, it's taken a long time because in general, they're nice people and slow to anger. But believers are finally standing up to reclaim their rights.
In Minnesota, six Catholic Bishops have given parishes permission to resume holding mass. That's in defiance of Governor Tim Walz's order, not clear where Tim Walz thinks he has the right to do that, but he does.
In California, 1,200 pastors have announced that they plan to defy Governor Gavin Newsom and resume their services. Now, all of these people are legal American citizens. So, the governors may not look kindly on them. They should just call themselves illegal aliens, and they'll get free subsidies. Probably won't do though.
But tonight they are not alone. The President has announced that his administration supports reopening houses of worship.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today I'm identifying houses of worship, churches, synagogues, and mosques as essential places that provide essential services.
Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but have left a lot churches and other houses of worship. It's not right.
So, I'm correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: The President said he would override governors who refused to open churches. The administration later said there it just a guidance though and reopening churches is still up to governors.
It shouldn't stay that way. Governors do not have the power to veto the Constitution and the Justice Department should step in if they try.
Quick programming now before we go tonight, by popular demand, Final Exam returns on Monday a full hour to compete against your favorite Fox News hosts. That's it for us tonight.
Have the best Memorial Day with the ones you love and we will see you next week.
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