Following the shocking and devastating takeover of Kabul from the Taliban, the world watched in horror as crowds stormed the Kabul airport in hopes of escaping the rule of the Taliban, with some even clinging on to a US military jet and falling to their deaths
But as the world continues to process the future of Afghanistan and its people in the midst of this humanitarian crisis, the only concern of Fox News' Tucker Carlson seems to be the impending "invasion" of Afghan refugees.
The conservative TV host used the July 16 episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight as an opportunity to scare and rile up his viewers, a portion of which was posted to Twitter byThe Daily Beast contributing editor Justin Baragona.
Tucker Carlson, already going there: "If history is any guide, and it\u2019s always a guide, we will see many refugees from Afghanistan resettle in our country, and over the next decade, that number may swell to the millions. So first we invade, and then we are invaded."pic.twitter.com/4ES5fz4reb— Justin Baragona (@Justin Baragona) 1629159669
In a heated monologue Carlson criticized those both on the left and the right for their support of asylum.
He declared President Joe Biden and his supporters should be "groveling for our forgiveness", warning his viewers their neighborhoods will soon be inundated with refugees from Afghanistan.
"If history is any guide, and it's always a guide, we will see many refugees from Afghanistan settle in our country in coming months, probably in your neighborhood, and over the next decade that number may swell to the millions."
"So first we invade, and then we're invaded, it is always the same."
Carlson also wasted no time in comparing opening the door for refugees from Afghanistan to the United States/Mexico border.
"The people who made the Afghan occupation possible would like to see a lot more of our southern border, much more unrestrained immigration to the U.S. 'Bring in the refugees!' they're screaming."
Few people were surprised Carlson's only concern over this humanitarian crisis would be the "threat" of Afghan refugees seeking a better life in the United States.
Indeed, Matthew Gertz, a senior fellow at Media Matters for America—a left-leaning not-for profit which calls out misinformation espoused by Fox News and their ilk—even predicted Carlson's ignorant, xenophobic tirade merely hours before Carlson took to the air.
There was an overall lack of surprise at Carlson's opinions on the situation in Afghanistan, but there was ample disgust and anger.
does Tucker know that Trump actually said that they should come here?— Get Vaccinated. (@Get Vaccinated.) 1629159865
It\u2019s almost like his overt and blatant racism is totally predictable. Wild.— Shannon (@Shannon) 1629171553
Carlson has openly espoused the "great replacement" theory, a conspiracy theory which claims immigrants are gradually replacing White people in "western civilization"—which includes Europe and the Americas—on multiple occasions.
While White nationalists tend to conveniently forget, it is an undisputed fact White people are not Indigenous to any land in the Americas. In the United States and Canada, the White majority are the original invading "great replacement" that White nationalist rhetoric now warns people about.
And while their ancestors achieved a majority through government sanctioned genocide of Indigenous peoples, the "great replacement" people like Carlson now warn against would be achieved through immigration, asylum, birthrates and interracial marriages. His xenophobic, racist rhetoric is straight from the fearmongering material used by White supremacist and White nationalist groups to recruit members.
AMERICAN LIVES **ARE NOT** MORE VALUABLE THAN THOSE OF \u201cFOREIGNERS\u201d\n\nNO HUMAN LIFE IS MORE VALUABLE THAN ANY OTHER— Burn the Future (@Burn the Future) 1629160335
I don\u2019t have a fraction of the money that Tucker has, and I\u2019m not a tough guy as he is, but I\u2019m not afraid of Afghan refugees— Kevin Shea (@Kevin Shea) 1629160553
Somebody needs to educate Tucker that the US allowed 156,000 Hungarian refugees in 1956 after they stood up to Soviet control. Didn't he just visit Hungary? Did he speak up against that "alien" invasion?— MP (@MP) 1629161204
That\u2019s exactly what he\u2019s afraid of\u2026what they are all afraid of - having to compete with decent human beings who CARE about others.— Darryl LeJeune (@Darryl LeJeune) 1629164314
This past April, Carlson made an appearance on Fox News Prime Time where he declared the Democrats were trying to "replace the current electorate with more obedient voters from the third world."
More recently, during an appearance on Fox and Friends, Carlson claimed the Biden administration's lack of enforcement to deportation laws at the southern border was a means of increasing the number of voters in the Democratic party.
Though, as even Carson noted on his program, bringing refugees from Afghanistan is not at all a partisan issue, as evidenced by Mitt Romney taking to Twitter and stressing the importance of Asylum for Afghan refugees.
America must not stand idly by as our Afghan friends are brutalized by the Taliban. For honor, for meaning of lives lost, and for simple humanity, the President must urgently rush to defend, rescue, and give and expand asylum. There is no time to spare.— Mitt Romney (@Mitt Romney) 1628812859
As reported by The Huffington Post, The Pentagon plans to resettle 22,000 Afghan refugees using US Military facilities as interim placement, with over 2,000 possessing special immigration visas having already been moved, in addition to interpreters, journalists and NGO workers—along with their spouses, children and extended family—likely to be targeted by the Taliban.
