Earlier this week, an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal received widespread backlash for urging Dr. Jill Biden—whom the author addressed as "kiddo"—to stop using "Dr." as her title.
The soon-to-be First Lady earned a doctoral degree in education from the University of Delaware in 2007, as well as two masters degrees, but the writer insisted that only medical doctors were "real" doctors. This ignores the common practice in education and the sciences of referring to all holders of doctoral degrees being referred to by the title "doctor."
In his Wednesday night broadcast, far-right Fox News host and the most prominent purported White supremacist to lose Dancing with the Stars—Tucker Carlson—took aim at the dissertation which earned Dr. Biden her degree, calling it "our national shame."
Watch below.
That's DOCTOR Jill Biden To You! pic.twitter.com/szFTBZxI3o
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) December 17, 2020
Carlson—who holds a bachelor's degree—absurdly floated a bizarre and graphic hypothetical in which Dr. Biden bungles treating a patient with a coronary issue before saying:
"Dr. Jill can't write―she can't really think clearly either. Parts of the dissertation seem to be written in a foreign language using English words."
"They're essentially pure nonsense, like pig Latin or dogs barking. The whole thing is just incredibly embarrassing."
"And not simply to poor, illiterate Jill Biden, but to the college that considered this crap scholarship. Embarrassing, in fact, to our entire system of higher education, to the nation itself."
"Jill Biden's doctoral dissertation is our national shame."
A look at Dr. Biden's dissertation, which is available here, shows the lengths to which Carlson sensationalized the number of typos in the 130 page document.
While Carlson may be unable to comprehend the dissertation's contents—hysterically slamming Dr. Biden as illiterate to mask his own inadequacies—the language is clear enough for a person with average intelligence to grasp. However it is not unusual for people outside a specialized field to not understand doctoral theses.
They are intended for review by peers, not laypeople or political pundits with a bachelor's degree in history.
Dr. Biden's qualifications seem to be the only ones that concern Carlson. He's frequently featured non-medical doctors on his broadcasts, referring to them by their title of "doctor" without histrionics. These. include Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Dr. Frank Wright, Dr. Michael Wall, and more.
Carlson, who attained his Bachelor of Arts in History from Trinity College, may not be qualified to determine the validity of others' education. Or explain why men with a doctorate are to be referred to as "Dr." on his program, but Dr. Biden makes him apoplectic.
Carlson hasn't provided an analysis of the theses of all his male non-medical doctor "Dr." guests.
According to The Week:
"Fox News' Tucker Carlson was never any good at school."
"The conservative firebrand only managed to get into Trinity College, in Hartford, after his boarding school's headmaster—the father of his then-girlfriend and now wife—pulled some strings on his behalf.
Carlson attempted to join the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) after graduation, but his application was denied.
His father reportedly suggested he might be able to be a journalist.
People decried Carlson for his condescending tone and blatant double standard.
This snotty example of toxic masculinity needs to look at his own glass house before he throws stones.https://t.co/PFwClYTpSN pic.twitter.com/upJDXvT0wH
— Cerulean 💙💙💙 (@nmcerulean) December 17, 2020
@TuckerCarlson Tucky-Wucky, let's see your grades! You misunderstand the hierarchy of educational degrees. DR Jill Biden isn't posing as an MD or DO, but you're posing as a man when you're just a big crying baby. 👶 🍼 https://t.co/vwvb6nVmcA
— QueenSparkle (@QueenSparkle12) December 17, 2020
@TuckerCarlson As if you could put in the effort to get a Doctorate. You, of the jabber jaws disease, and the relentless right-wing rants, are nothing more than a showboat misogynist who likes to hear himself excoriate others. https://t.co/WueWhwYi6h
— G_Lohmann (@GlendaLohmann) December 17, 2020
The National shame is Tucker's desperation to appear like a journalist. He is nothing more than a muckraker...let's remember MSNBC had to fire him several years ago for the same tendencies. Because of him and others Fake Fox News is a muckraking channel! https://t.co/YxMxM1fnm2
— Nancy Stinson (@Dogmommaz3) December 17, 2020
Tucker Carlson is one of the most destructive voices in our culture. https://t.co/82dWboiSar
— Omeed Firouzi (@OmeedFirouzi) December 17, 2020
Dr. Jill Biden, l'm sure, will not even give him a thought. He's just trying to goat her into responding with outrage and disgust. Then he will give some commentary after her response. Or could it just be jealousy on his part?
— Joyous (@capricornmathlv) December 17, 2020
Twitter users cited Carlson's own intelligence and credentials.
This from a man that barely got a BA degree in History & was turned down by the CIA for not being smart enough! He really does represent the bottom of the barrel, which is ironic given the excellent start in life he was given...but hey, a bottom-feeder is always a bottom-feeder.
— Rey Izain (@Izain1) December 17, 2020
sounds more like tucker carlson describing himself
— Peace Travel (@peacetravel10) December 17, 2020
Tucker Carlson a own lawyers claimed in court he was merely entertainment
So yes kinda like Jerry Springer
— Snarky Tomato, RN (@MikeCulpeper) December 17, 2020
Carlson once called First Lady Michelle Obama "too Black" and referred to Iraquis as "Semi-literate primitive monkeys." His top writer was fired earlier this year for abhorrent internet posts laden with racist slurs.
One could argue the existence of Carlson's show is a greater "national shame" than anything written by Dr. Jill Biden.
