White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed Fox News opinion anchor Tucker Carlson for his Jan. 6 coverage after he received Capitol security footage — calling him “not credible.”
Her comment came as President Joe Biden asked “how dare anyone” lessen the “hell” officers protecting the building went through that day.
Jean-Pierre went by the name of the highly-rated cable host, even referencing statements made by Fox News attorneys in response to a lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems — a case in which Carlson said he “hates” Donald Trump, according to court documents.
“We agree with the chief of the Capitol Police and the broad spectrum of bipartisan lawmakers … We have condemned this misrepresentation of the unprecedented violent assault on our Constitution and the rule of law that has claimed the lives of police officers,” she said.
“And that’s what we saw on that day, on a very dark day and attack on our democracy,” she said of January 6.
White House press secretary Jean-Pierre, citing NPR and Washington Post reports of Fox News host Tucker Carlson, labeled him after his reports on March 6,
Biden repeated her blast with one tweetwhich is linked to a post by the chief of the US Capitol Police, who draws “misleading conclusions” about the report.
“More than 140 officers were injured on January 6th. I’ve already said how dare anyone belittle or deny the hell they’ve been through. I stand with the @CapitolPolice,” Biden wrote. “I hope House Republicans are ashamed of what has been done to undermine our law enforcement.”
Jean-Pierre relied on third parties to make remarks that further undercut Carlson, citing media reports in the saga of Dominion’s $1.6 billion lawsuit against the network.
“And so, too, on the Tucker-Carlson issue, we concur with Fox Nation’s own attorneys and executives, who have repeatedly – and in multiple courts – stressed that Tucker Carlson’s target is not credible in this matter in particular.” , she said.
“And we have, you know, NPR in September 2020. Here’s what they had. You literally can’t believe the facts Tucker Carlson is telling you, Fox attorneys say again in The Washington Post just last week, just a day ago. Fox manager [Sean] Hanny [and] Carlson shows are not credible news sources.’
“So it’s just a shame to have said what he said when we saw Capitol cops or police officers lose their lives,” she added.
Jean-Pierre was referring to Carlson’s reporting since House Speaker Kevin McCarthy turned over thousands of hours of security footage. Carlson attempted to portray the event as a peaceful event.
“They were peaceful, they were orderly and gentle. They weren’t insurgents, they were onlookers,” Carlson said, attacking the House’s January 6 committee, which showed videos and pictures of rioters violently clashing with police.
Tucker Carlson is seen with Marjorie Taylor Greene and Trump at his New Jersey golf course in July 2022. Carlson said in January 2021 he “passionately” hates Trump. ‘ Said Jean-Pierre, ‘And so, too, on the Tucker-Carlson issue, we agree with Fox Nation’s own lawyers and executives, who have repeatedly emphasized – and in multiple courts – that the target Tucker Carlson is not believable’
She also drew attention to a 2020 NPR story with a headline quoted by Jean-Pierre. It cited arguments put forward by Fox attorneys in a defamation lawsuit, in which the judge wrote that “Fox convincingly argues that given Mr. Carlson’s reputation, any reasonable viewer ‘gets it.'[s] with a reasonable degree of ‘skepticism’ about the statement he is making.’
The explosions from the White House raised the host and his claims hours after the latest revelations from legal filings in the Dominion lawsuit.
Carlson confessed to his producer that he “passionately hated” Trump, according to files unsealed by a judge Tuesday as part of Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit.
Dominion is suing Carlson’s network Fox News in a $1.6 billion case, alleging that the media company defamed the voting company by questioning its technology and methods. Fox has vehemently denied the allegations.
On Tuesday, Carlson’s private messages were among a spate of emails and other communications unsealed by the judge.
Carlson, one of the conservative broadcaster’s biggest stars, wrote to Alex Pfeiffer on Jan. 4, 2021, the suit claims, to say he’s looking forward to a post-Trump era.
“We’re very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I can’t wait,” he allegedly said, according to the lawsuit.
“I hate him passionately. I blew up Peter Navarro today in frustration,” he reportedly wrote, referring to the former Trump administration official.
“Actually, I like Peter. But I can’t take much more of it.’ Fox has disputed Dominion’s claims, insisting many of the messages shared in the lawsuit were taken out of context.
A spokesman said: “Thanks to today’s filings, Dominion has been caught in the act again, using further distortion and misinformation in their PR campaign to smear FOX News and trample on freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
“We already know they will say and do anything to try and win this case, but twisting quotes and misattributing even the highest levels of our company is really overkill.”
Carlson can be seen interviewing the then President in 2019
Carlson reportedly wrote in another text: “That’s the last four years. We all act like we have a lot to show for, because admitting what a disaster it was is too hard to swallow. But come on. There’s not really an advantage for Trump.’
Carlson himself has complained on the air about how news reporters seem to “hate Trump with an all-consuming mania.”
The former president was said to have been a big fan of Carlson’s show, with issues covered by the Fox News host helping guide White House policy.
The text messages also revealed significant dissatisfaction within Fox over the decision to correctly call Arizona for Joe Biden.
Carlson complained, according to the lawsuit, that it hurt Fox’s share price.
Pfeiffer allegedly wrote in a Nov. 20, 2020 email to an unidentified person that the allegations of voter fraud had “a funny thing.”
“Dominion was deployed in Ohio and Florida,” he wrote.
“Trump won them. Did they forget to manipulate these or all parts of the plan?’
The exchange reportedly features host Laura Ingraham complaining about Fox calling States for Biden, saying, “My anger at the news channel is high.”
Carlson agreed, reportedly replying, “It should be.”
Fox News headquarters in Midtown Manhattan
Rupert Murdoch, left, is pictured with Trump in 2016
He said he was equally upset by the network’s coverage of the results and by the moderators and hosts who confirmed Biden’s win.
“We dedicate our lives to building an audience and they let Chris Wallace and Leland [expletive] Vittert destroys it. Too much,” Carlson said, loudly in the suit.
On November 16, 2020, Ingraham Carlson and Sean Hannity texted again to complain about their employer.
“We all officially work for an organization that hates us,” she wrote.
The exchange is part of a lengthy conversation between the three about how their news colleagues were hurting ratings.
Another news anchor, Maria Bartiromo, reportedly texted Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon on November 10, 2020 to say she was devastated by the results.
“Omg I’m so depressed. I can’t take this,” she reportedly told Bannon, noting how upsetting it was to see the “world move forward.”
“I want massive fraud to be exposed. Will he be able to reverse this,” she added, referring to Trump.
“I have told my team that we are not allowed to say ‘pre-elect’ at all. Not in scripts or on-air banners. Until this goes through the courts.’
Bannon replied, “You are our fighter. Enough with the sad! We need you.”
Rupert Murdoch, owner of the network, privately worried his stars had gone too far in their claims that the election was stolen.
In his email to CEO Suzanne Scott on Jan. 21, 2021 — the day after Biden’s inauguration — Murdoch said he was being criticized for the network’s insistence that the election was stolen, the lawsuit alleges.
“We’re still getting mud thrown at us!” wrote Murdoch. “Maybe Sean and Laura went too far.”
He also asked Scott if it was “undeniable that high-profile Fox voices fed the story that the election was stolen and that January 6th was an important opportunity to overturn the result”.
Murdoch had predicted shortly after the election that Trump would fade and become irrelevant.
“And lots of viewers to lose – but no leadership yet!” wrote Murdoch.
“We just have to keep our nerve and play our game! Another month from now, Trump will be irrelevant and we’ll have plenty to say about Biden, Dems and appointments – pretty dull so far.
Maria Bartiromo (pictured) told Steve Bannon she was “so depressed” by Biden’s win
A sign outside Fox’s headquarters, from left: Jesse Watters, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Greg Gutfeld
After the Jan. 6 riots, Murdoch said he felt Trump’s brand had been significantly damaged, according to the lawsuit.
“His business is ruined now!” he said in an email to his son Lachlan – who runs the network – and former House Speaker Paul Ryan.
“Who throws a party at one of their golf clubs or hotels? Let alone a tournament.
‘So he has more than legal problems, bad as they are.
“The brand is poison now! Who wants Ivanka’s clothing lines, jewelry, etc.?!’
Fox News said it was “proud of our 2020 election coverage, which stands in the highest tradition of American journalism.”
They are defending themselves against Dominion’s lawsuit, saying it’s all about promoting their voting machines.
Dominion argues that the First Amendment does not allow media companies to promote conspiracy theories they know to be false.
“As the dominant media outlet among viewers dissatisfied with the election results, Fox has given these fictions a meaning they otherwise could not have achieved,” Dominion’s 441-page lawsuit reads.
“With Fox’s global platform, an audience in the hundreds of millions, and the inevitable and widespread re-publication and dissemination of untruths via social media, these lies have severely damaged Dominion’s once thriving business.
‘Fox took a small flame and turned it into a forest fire.’
Carlson and the other hosts have not responded to the release of their messages.
Superior Court Judge Eric Davis is scheduled to preside over the trial in mid-April.
The process could extend over five weeks.