After a grand jury in Manhattan the impeachment of former President Donald Trump, several Fox News personalities spoke openly about the reactions they expected from viewers. While some cautioned against a physical response, others seemed to like the idea.
The network’s anchor Tucker Carlson said Thursday night during primetime that the combination of Trump’s impeachment and the White House to appear the humanity of trans people seemed a challenge.
“It almost feels like they’re pushing the population to react,” Carlson said. “‘We think they are demoralized and passive, let’s see if they really are.’ At what point do we conclude that I’m doing this to provoke a reaction?”
His host, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, agrees. “If you’re skating on thin ice, you don’t take a hammer to that thin ice and break it.”
The assumption that a critical mass of Americans is ready to take violent action to impeach Trump has so far not been confirmed. But the cable network’s incessant noise about impending violence could have the effect of turning predictions into authorization.
At times, the rhetoric moved away from ominous predictions and toward something more direct. Later on Carlson’s show, commentator Jason Whitlock said he was “ready for whatever’s next, and I hope all the other people out there watching this show — I hope you’re ready for whatever’s next. If that’s what they want, let’s do it.”
“This does not seem to be the behavior of people who want the current system to continue,” Carlson said in response.
The peak was not limited to the Carlson show.
“The country is not going to stand for this, and people better be careful, and that’s all I’m going to say about it,” Jesse Watters said shortly after news of the indictment broke.
Dan Bongino, another network personality, said Americans live in a “police state” and recalled his time in a country that had “problems with the democratic process.” Bongino said a military officer in that country told him, “Whoever has the guns has the power.”
“I didn’t know this is where we are now: If you have guns, you have power,” Bongino said.
Some guests on the network tried to blame any violence on Democrats.
“I think it’s a bait and switch for MAGA Republicans to overreact to incite some kind of violence or opposition,” former GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz said of Trump’s impeachment. “They really want this to happen.”
Former Fox star Glenn Beck, during a brief appearance, told viewers: “I think this is about trying to inflame this country. They wanted right-wing violence from the beginning.”
Some talking heads explicitly called for calm. Sean Hannity warned viewers: “The liberal press keeps saying, ‘Republicans are going to be violent!’ Conservatives will be violent! I want to say to every conservative, every Republican, every Donald Trump supporter: don’t bite. We are peaceful, law abiding, God fearing. You are the people who make this country great.”
But many others offered no such warning. Ned Ryun, a right-wing activist and CEO of the conservative activist group American Majority, told Carlson that he believes America is no longer a constitutional republic and urged Republican state attorneys general to get involved in the “law” or ” the law as a weapon”. “. ”
“We are in a cold war, a civilized era in this country, where we must decide and engage in the policy of mutual assured destruction,” Ryun said. “The Democrats are bombing us, we better decide to push them back until they stop.”
If Republicans don’t act, Ryun warned, “we’re going to be crammed into a one-party state, a one-party system that will eventually lead to authoritarianism.”
“It’s probably not the best time to give up the AR-15, and I think most people know that,” Carlson replied.
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