Tucker Carlson Lashes Out at Washington Post Writer Asking About Alleged Nepotism Surrounding Son: ‘Go F*** Yourself’
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Tucker Carlson tore into Erik Wemple of the Washington Post after the Fox News host was said to be irate that his son was dragged into the news by a reported anonymous GOP strategist.
Friday, the Daily Beast reported the person claimed Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) hired Carlson’s son Buckley Carlson as his communications director in order to court favor with the GOP establishment.
“Deep down, he dies to be liked by the Establishment,” the person said of Banks. “He hires Tucker Carlson’s son, a 24-year-old kid, to be his communications director.”
Banks could face off against National Republican Congressional Committee chair Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) for majority whip, should the Republican Party take a House majority next month.
Jonathan Swan with Axios reported the scoop Sunday: Carlson had placed an angry phone call to Emmer in order to find out who accused his son, who is actually 25, of benefiting from nepotism.
The host was said to have been convinced the congressman or someone close to him was behind the quote published by the Beast.
Swan reported Carlson vowed to get to the bottom of it:
According to four sources briefed on their Friday morning phone call, Carlson told Emmer he needed to name the staffer who brought up Buckley Carlson — or Carlson would have no other choice but to blame Emmer himself.
[…]
Emmer repeatedly asserted to Carlson that his office had nothing to do with the background quote about Carlson’s son. Carlson was unpersuaded. He made clear to Emmer that he now had a personal problem with him…
In an effort to pacify Carlson, Emmer worked to distance his office from the quote — and even to shift blame to another member of leadership’s staff, according to two sources familiar with his private comments.
Wemple, the Post‘s media critic, said Monday he had spoken to Carlson about the GOP-on-GOP dustup – and his reported role in finding who name-checked his son. The Fox host responded by trashing Wemple and his employer.
“Normal people understand it’s wrong to go after a man’s family,” Wemple quoted Carlson as having stated. “But you don’t because you’re a soulless ghoul who literally works for Jeff Bezos. Go f— yourself.”
