Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is firing back at comedian Jon Stewart, who called him a “d—” last week during his appearance on “The Daily Show.”
During an interview this week, Carlson shared his thoughts on Stewart, saying he was a “tool of the regime in the most sinister way.”
“He has the exact same priorities as the people permanently in charge in Washington,” Carlson said of Stewart, adding that the comedian has never said one thing “that would be unpopular on ‘Morning Joe.’”
Stewart, who has returned to the Comedy Central show on a part-time basis, was highly critical of Carlson for his trip to Russia to interview Russian President Vladimir, something Carlson defended in the clip.
“That’s kind of what I was saying: Even the Russians under Vladimir freaking Putin can live like this. And no, it’s not a feature of dictatorship,” Carlson said. “That’s the most, I think, discouraging and most dishonest line by people like Jon Stewart who really are trying to prepare the population for accepting a lot less. He is really a tool of the regime in a sinister way, always has been.”
Carlson shared clips of his trip to Moscow on his X and other social media accounts, something Stewart used during a segment on his show.
“You aren’t as dumb as your face would have us believe,” Stewart said of Carlson. “Perhaps, if your handlers had allowed, you would have seen there is a hidden fee to all your cheap groceries and orderly streets.”
However, Carlson isn’t taking the heat from Stewart to heart, saying he’s laughed off the criticism he’s received for praising Russia.
“Like, ‘How dare you expect that? What are you, a Stalinist?’ It’s like, no, I’m an American. I’m like a decent person,” Carlson said. “I just want to be able to walk to the grocery store without being murdered. … It’s really dark if you think about it, you know?”
Carlson also discussed Stewart’s political opinions, saying he is “much more partisan than I am,” referring back to their iconic matchup in 2004 when they went head to head while Carlson hosted a show on CNN.
“Yeah, he’s a comedian for sure. He can be very funny, for sure. He has talent, no doubt about it. I’ve never denied that,” Carlson said of Stewart. “But he is motivated by his moral views. You know, ‘This is right. That is wrong.’ I just think that’s a misapplied passion.”