Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reached out to Tucker Carlson, Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch and other top Fox executives personally to ask them to stop promoting the racist bile that is the great replacement conspiracy theory.
“I write to urge you to immediately cease the reckless amplification of the so-called ‘Great Replacement’ theory on your network’s broadcasts,” he wrote in a letter obtained by the New York Times, before placing the blame for the conspiracy theory’s entrance into the mainstream squarely on Fox News’ shoulders.
“For years, these types of beliefs have existed at the fringes of American life,” Schumer wrote pointing to the dangerous extremist ideology. “However, this pernicious theory, which has no basis in fact, has been injected into the mainstream thanks in large part to a dangerous level of amplification by your network and its anchors.”
It’s a rare move for a senator or lawmaker to publicly reach out in this fashion, and in some ways speaks to the gravity of the problem at Fox News, but also how close to home the issue is for Schumer. While politically it makes sense — it was his constituents who were killed by the white gunman in Buffalo over the weekend — the letter also revealed a rare moment of tender emotion for Schumer, the majority leader known for his angry and fiery speeches from the Senate floor.
“The devastation and despair that families and communities feel in the wake of these incidents cannot be overstated. For instance, my constituents in east Buffalo who will be forced to relive this tragic event every single time they visit the supermarket for a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk,” he wrote.
Schumer also cited recent polling that revealed one in three Americans believe in the great replacement theory — that there is a cabal of elites in society who want “to replace native-born Americans with immigrants for electoral gains,” as the poll states. Schumer also pointed out that Fox News viewers are three times more likely to believe in the conspiracy theory than those who watch other networks for their news.
It’s no surprise. Tucker Carlson loves to yell about the great replacement on his show. He can’t stop fearmongering about the racist conspiracy theory. As Schumer also noted, Carlson has “amplified this dangerous and unfounded theory in more than 400 episodes of his show” in recent years.
It was a smart move to send the letter publicly but it may just give Carlson more fodder for owning the libs. Schumer tweeted that Carlson reached out to invite him to come on his show tonight to talk about the letter. Schumer declined.
I can see Tucker’s disingenuous scowl from here.
The Best Of TPM Today
Here’s what you should read this evening:
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In TPM Cafe: FEC v. Ted Cruz For Senate Is Just The Latest In A Wretched Line Of Cases
Wisconsin Dem Electors Sue Fake Trump Electors
This is what it’s come to: Fox Guest Claims Biracial Son Got Critical Race Theory’d Into Not Doing His Chores
State Behind Roe’s Likely Demise Also Does The Least For New Parents
Yesterday’s Most Read Story
Proponents Of Racist ‘Replacement’ Theory That Motivated Mass Shooter Double Down — Matt Shuham
What We Are Reading
Gawker Review of Architecture: Supreme Court Edition — Tarpley Hitt
The Government Gave Out Bad Loans. Students Deserve a Bailout. — Charlie Eaton, Amber Villalobos and Frederick Wherry
New Florida law bans protests outside private homes — Sam Sachs
