On Friday, Tucker Carlson was big mad about the indictment of Donald Trump, which is of course something of a surprise, since documents released as part of Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox News prove that at least in 2021, he hated Trump “passionately.”
Nevertheless, Carlson was outraged on Trump’s behalf on Friday’s episode of “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” and while articulating his disdain of the American legal system, Carlson devised an unusual legal argument in Trump’s defense. In short, “I know you [the grand jury] are but what am I {Trump]?”
You can watch the clip at the top of the page (courtesy of nikki mccann ramírez on Twitter).
The comments came during a longer rant where among other things, Carlson called the situation “third world.”
“And if that isn’t third world enough, someone leaked the news of Donald Trump’s grand jury indictment to the media. Now that in itself is a crime under the law in New York, in fact a much bigger crime than those under which Donald Trump is charged,” Carlson said.
“Will Alvin Bragg prosecute the leaker?” Carlson continued, referring to the District Attorney of Manhattan. “Please. It’s almost certainly someone in his own office.”
On Thursday, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump on charges related to the investigation into the former president’s connection to a hush money payment of $130,000, made to porn actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. Daniels says she and Trump had sex in 2006, more than a year after he married his current wife, Melania; Trump denies this, but nevertheless Daniels was paid to keep quiet. And the money came from Trump’s presidential campaign, which by itself is a serious campaign finance crime.
Meanwhile, yes, it is a Class E felony in the state of New York to leak grand jury testimony. And while Class E is in New York the lowest category of felony, it’s still serious; punishment can include at least a year in prison if convicted.
But we don’t actually know what Trump has been charged with, as the (again, more than 30) charges won’t be made public until Trump is arraigned, likely on April 4. As a result it’s impossible to say if the leak of the grand jury’s decision is a more serious crime “than those under which Donald Trump is charged,” per Carlson.
But we’d say odds are at least greater than zero that one of those charges levied against Trump will be higher than a Class E felony.
If that happens then, like many of the things he’s said over the years, Carlson’s legal estimation of the Trump indictment was wrong. But he’s Fox News’ highest rated primetime star and allowed to say whatever he wants. Which of course is why the New York Times once described “Tucker Carlson Tonight” as “what may be the most racist show in the history of cable news.”
