Fox News' Tucker Carlson has some effusive, dubious praise for Elizabeth Warren


Tucker Carlson appears to have a bit of a policy crush on one of the 2020 Democrats. On his Fox News show Wednesday evening, Carlson read large segments from an "economic patriotism" proposal, then asked his viewers who "regularly vote Republican" if they disagreed with any of the statement. "Probably not," he said. "Here's the depressing part: Nobody you voted for said that, or would ever say it. ... Instead, the words you just heard are from — and brace yourself here — Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. It's true."
Congressional Republicans, in thrall to Wall Street and "libertarian zealots," failed to learn from the 2016 election and never "understood and embraced the economic nationalism that was at the heart of Donald Trump's presidential victory," Carlson said. But "many of Warren's policy prescriptions make obvious sense," like buying American and encouraging workplace apprenticeships. "She sounds like Donald Trump at his best," he added.
Warren, who has gotten enthusiastic applause in the heart of "Trump Country," doesn't appear to mutually admire Carlson and his network, having described Fox News as a "hate-for-profit racket that gives a megaphone to racists and conspiracists." And Carlson isn't going to rush out and endorse Warren — probably to Warren's relief. He said she is still a "race-hustling, gun-grabbing, abortion-extremist." But Warren is "clearer on economic nationalism than Mitch McConnell," Carlson said, and faint praise though that may be, it is praise nonetheless from a pro-Trump Fox News host. Just don't expect to see it in any Warren campaign ads.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocrat
Feature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?
Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
-
Government shuts down amid partisan deadlock
Feature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo
-
Electronic Arts to go private in record $55B deal
speed read The video game giant is behind ‘The Sims’ and ‘Madden NFL’
-
Rupert Murdoch's conservative son wins succession battle
Speed Read Lachlan Murdoch will get control over the media empire that includes Fox News and The Wall Street Journal following his father's death, while his siblings will receive payouts
-
New York court tosses Trump's $500M fraud fine
Speed Read A divided appeals court threw out a hefty penalty against President Trump for fraudulently inflating his wealth
-
Trump said to seek government stake in Intel
Speed Read The president and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan reportedly discussed the proposal at a recent meeting
-
US to take 15% cut of AI chip sales to China
Speed Read Nvidia and AMD will pay the Trump administration 15% of their revenue from selling artificial intelligence chips to China
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance