November 26, 2019

Democrat Goes on Fox News and Rips Tucker Carlson: “Why the Hell Does He Still Have a Job Here?”

Michael Blake also questioned the network’s echoing of Trump’s conspiracy theories.

Tucker Carlson has floated a strange theory that former President Barack Obama has declined to endorse Joe Biden because Michelle Obama is likely to enter the race. When asked about the prediction, which is almost certainly wrong, on Fox News Tuesday morning, Michael Blake, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, refused to lend credence to the idea.

Instead, Blake used the appearance to swiftly condemn the fact that Carlson maintains employment at the network despite long being accused of racism, defending white supremacy, and promoting conspiracy theories. “Well, she’s not running, but the core question is: Why the hell does Tucker Carlson still have a job here in the first place?” Blake said. “The reality is that this is someone who says white supremacy is a hoax, and why does Fox allow him to still be here in the first place?”

Anchor Bill Hemmer attempted, unartfully, to steer the segment back into the former first lady. “Not going to happen,” Blake responded, again dismissing the speculation on Obama. “But I think the core question is, [Carlson] shouldn’t be on here at all.”

“I got it,” Hemmer responded. “We didn’t bring you on to talk about Tucker Carlson—I brought you on to talk about the Democratic field.”

But the tension didn’t end there. Later in the exchange, Blake called out Fox News’ primetime role in “ignoring the truth” and parroting President Donald Trump’s debunked conspiracy theories.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

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