Fox News' Tucker Carlson has apparently decided to attempt to gaslight everyone in the world—truly an ambitious goal—into believing there is no such thing as QAnon.
Only a month ago Carlson was rushing to defend QAnon believers after legislation was introduced that could bar those who disseminate QAnon rhetoric, and anyone who participated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, from holding a federal security clearance.
He claimed on his show QAnon is all a leftist conspiracy and doesn't really exist—because his team couldn't find an official website, even after spending "all day" looking.
"We spent all day trying to locate the famous QAnon, which, in the end, we learned is not even a website. If it's out there, we could not find it."
@ndrew_lawrence https://t.co/GBMZ8KzVDb— El RAYO X (@El RAYO X) 1614129634.0
This statement came after a rant about other media networks shining a light on the intentional disinformation being directed at the American people.
Carlson claimed these networks are, themselves, trying to mislead people.
"Disinformation networks? That doesn't sound like a misleading social media post, it sounds like a terror cell. And it sounds that way on purpose. The thing about disinformation that they're telling us is that's it's not simply harmful to you personally ....Disinformation hurts everyone."
Carlson went on to mention Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Green, whose Twitter postings have been called into question.
"We checked Marjorie Taylor Greene's Twitter feed because we have heard she traffics in disinformation, CNN told us, but nothing there. Next, we called our many friends in the tight-knit intel community. Could Vladimir Putin be putting this stuff out there? The Proud Boys? Alex Jones?"
Here he began to point the finger at cable news networks, during his show which is hosted on a major cable news network.
"Who is lying to America in ways that are certain to make us hate each other and certain to destroy our core institutions?"
"Well, none of the above, actually. It wasn't Marjorie Taylor Greene. It was cable news. It was politicians talking on TV. They're the ones spreading disinformation to Americans. Maybe they are from QAnon."
As usual for the internet, folks immediately resorted to sarcasm and absolutely nobody was pulling punches.
@ndrew_lawrence "Qanon' is not even a website" Oh wow. You don't say And they spent the entire day figuring that out— Pedro Rocha (@Pedro Rocha) 1614129610.0
@ndrew_lawrence I can't find any evidence Tucker Carlson exists. I mean, I've seen video, sure. But that can be fak… https://t.co/LibMtjh19N— P. D. White (@P. D. White) 1614168512.0
@BamaResistance @ndrew_lawrence I checked the internet and can confirm there is no evidence that Tucker has a brain— Lock Trump Up (@Lock Trump Up) 1614129977.0
@ndrew_lawrence Tucker's right, I checked my library and couldn't find it anywhere in the dewey decimal system.— Pete Bernardin (@Pete Bernardin) 1614129373.0
People on Twitter were quick to point out many of Carlson's fan base are QAnon believers.
Maybe this wasn't his best idea ever.
@ndrew_lawrence This is a very strange dance he’s doing. Does he not know that half the people who buy pillows from… https://t.co/fxJhLf227Z— Chick-fil-A Sauce Shortage Michael (@Chick-fil-A Sauce Shortage Michael) 1614129449.0
@rewegreatyet @ndrew_lawrence It definitely isn't. The ones still clinging to it are going to reason through it by… https://t.co/e7lQrskwrY— Skye Miller (@Skye Miller) 1614129835.0
@CathyJoeGPT @ndrew_lawrence Only half? That’s reaching— Cryssi Bentlage (@Cryssi Bentlage) 1614134130.0
@ndrew_lawrence Well that settles it, doesn't it? Screw all those millions of posts on dozens of sites, and all tha… https://t.co/0cjjPe8GOa— ChicaLoca (@ChicaLoca) 1614146960.0
Even Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois called out Carlson's damaging and ridiculous rhetoric.
Next step in the whitewash: “who is this ‘Q’ of which you speak? There is no website!” Deny, plead ignorance, misdi… https://t.co/izQP6XEv5K— Adam Kinzinger (@Adam Kinzinger) 1614133970.0
@nvthompson @RepKinzinger The same as how Don Jr said that the Texas power crisis was a result of the Democratic go… https://t.co/Ob2gclgZLV— allan (@allan) 1614147871.0
@RepKinzinger It's like Tucker took a course in gaslighting.— Mary Jane (@Mary Jane) 1614147620.0
@DianaHeliotes @RepKinzinger @TuckerCarlson Precisely...it’s all about the money. https://t.co/RooiRxMJf4— The Buzzaholics (@The Buzzaholics) 1614170054.0
While Carlson seems to have not noticed, or has ignored, the paradox of blaming all of this on cable news networks from his seat on his cable news show, his attempts to dissemble don't seem to be fooling anyone.
QAnon adherents were linked to the Capitol riot and the QAnon conspiracy theories continue to inform the decisions of everyone who still believes them.