Warning: This article contains homophobic language which may be distressing to some readers.
Tucker Carlson, a conservative commentator, used a number of homophobic slurs during an intense exchange about freedom of speech with Piers Morgan this week.
Carlson, formerly a host at Fox News, visited London for a segment of ‘The Tucker Carlson Show.’ During his stay, he expressed his belief that the UK has experienced political and cultural decline since World War Two.
In a monologue preceding his interview with Piers Morgan on Thursday, November 28, Carlson compared the British Empire at its peak, when it ruled a significant portion of the world, to what he now views as a ‘sad, soggy, welfare state’.
He then proceeded to argue that individuals in the UK are being detained for exercising free speech, citing an incident involving a woman arrested for silently protesting outside an abortion clinic, which, like many in the US, had an anti-protest buffer zone.
Carlson referred to this as ‘arresting people for praying,’ setting the stage for his intense exchange with Piers Morgan, during which he used a homophobic slur six times in under a minute.
Their conversation remained mostly amicable, with Carlson criticizing the UK’s ‘authoritarian’ state and Morgan countering that it was not as severe as portrayed. Carlson repeatedly returned to the topic of free speech.
Speaking from a UK studio without fear of arrest by the Metropolitan Police, Carlson voiced concerns about a ‘Global Homo’ threat, describing it as ‘fascism wrapped in the human rights campaign rainbow logo’.
Criticizing anti-hate speech laws, he remarked: “This is the authoritarianism of the present and the future, it’s the feline passive aggressive female version that doesn’t tell you what it is, they don’t march into your town with jackboots and put a rifle against your face.”
While Morgan, who said he spends part of each year in the UK, did not fully agree, the discussion became tense when Carlson attempted to provoke him by asking, “Would you say the word ‘f*ggot’ on camera?”
Without hesitation, Morgan responded, ‘No’. Carlson suggested Morgan avoided the term due to fear of arrest, but Morgan calmly stated he didn’t want to ‘needlessly smear or sneer’ at people, then asked if Carlson would use the slur.
“F*ggot? I just did. F*ggot, f*ggot, f*ggot,” Carlson replied, but Morgan remained unperturbed.
“I’m allowed to, I just choose not to,” Morgan responded to Carlson’s provocations.
Soon after, despite claiming he harbors no animosity towards gay people but is comfortable using the slur, Carlson ironically chose to self-censor his speech.
“The only people you ever hear use the N word are Black, period,” Carlson commented, opting not to use the offensive racial slur.