On Wednesday, April 7's edition of "Tucker Carlson Today," Fox host Tucker Carlson courted controversy once again by claiming transgender people are a threat to the "perpetuation of the species."
Carlson's guest, Wilfred Reilly, a political science professor from Kentucky State University, made some big claims without offering any science to back up his supposed "facts."
He said:
"These questions are very tough to discuss, but they're serious questions."
"I mean, is society self-sustaining to some extent if 30% of men simply aren't willing or able to sleep with women, if another 2 or 3% of in particular young women want to modify their bodies so they cannot in many or most cases have children ― I mean that's something that's an issue almost at the structural level."
"And you might ask why? Why is that going on? It's something that at the very least needs research."
Carlson responded:
"It's a challenge to the perpetuation of the species is what you're saying."
Reilley said that would be the case if "both trends increase."
@NikkiMcR By his "logic" so would be couples who decide not to have children and those with infertility then.— Wyatt Derp 🖐️ 🖐️ (@Wyatt Derp 🖐️ 🖐️) 1617841794.0
@GravityBreak @NikkiMcR In these situations, I have such a strong urge to debunk, but you're right---it's such unse… https://t.co/Y9CjYtmADs— FBB (@FBB) 1617891675.0
Carlson then backed up Reilley's analysis, saying:
"That's right, and so it's hard to think of anything more profound than that."
@NikkiMcR Without citing any evidence, the conversation is disconnected from reality. The analysis is simplistic. F… https://t.co/fXksIvfKAa— wdb — Masked & Vaccinated (@wdb — Masked & Vaccinated) 1617848072.0
@NikkiMcR How do they threaten the "perpetuation of the species?" Do they cause infertility to everyone within a 12… https://t.co/PUrta475kS— Large Genitalia Chakra (@Large Genitalia Chakra) 1617851524.0
@NikkiMcR On top of everything else this isn't how math works with percentages— Heneghan (@Heneghan) 1617841933.0
Twitter noted that the pair's conversation was so far outside the realm of reality that it was hard to pinpoint any singular error without going down a rabbit hole of insanity.
@NikkiMcR I hadn't noticed that we're running out of people— Secrecy Envelope (@Secrecy Envelope) 1617841861.0
@NikkiMcR Historically, what happens to minority groups that are labeled threats to the survival of a culture?— dad bod thirst trap (@dad bod thirst trap) 1617843711.0
@NikkiMcR https://t.co/jV0Zcm4UnZ— sean (@sean) 1617845076.0
Rhetoric like this, framed as difficult but necessary good-faith conversations, puts trans lives in danger and certainly encourages discrimination in conservative communities.
This while people like him have violently suppressed the development of reproductive & fertility healthcare for tra… https://t.co/nqIMT20edn— #CancelRent Völva (@#CancelRent Völva) 1617932029.0
I am trans. I have three kids and four grandkids. I got my ticket punched. #SpeciesSaved! #Civilizationpreserved… https://t.co/UA2upHgMrW— JJ Marie Gufreda (@JJ Marie Gufreda) 1617896433.0
Humanity faces many dangers, but dying out because trans couples aren't having children is definitely not one of them.
Transphobia literally just rehashes homophobia’s Greatest Hits™ https://t.co/18mjQUv5c7— Liz, Known Shark Apologist 🌹 (@Liz, Known Shark Apologist 🌹) 1617893751.0
I missed the part where we were endangered by anything other than our own stupidity and unwillingness to stop clima… https://t.co/ZMAPTnpFKB— SGF Vaccine Buzz (@SGF Vaccine Buzz) 1617893732.0
Carlson's core audience has come to expect, accept, and even look forward to dangerous rhetoric like this as part of his program, but the rest of the world continues to wonder how Carlson remains on the air.