Tucker Carlson, the American alt-right TV personality, conspiracy theorist and a former Fox News host, made an appearance alongside Spain’s far-right Vox leader, Santiago Abascal, at the latest anti-amnesty protests in Madrid on Monday night.
It was the 11th day of protests near the PSOE socialist headquarters in the Calle Ferraz, against plans by acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to secure another term in office by granting an amnesty to those who took part in the Catalan independence bid that was deemed illegal by the courts. ALSO READ: Amnesty bill registered in Spanish Congress – full details.
Carlson, a long-time supporter of Donald Trump, who was fired in April of this year from Fox News, is well known for spreading far-right ideas and conspiracy theories – specifically Covid-19 scepticism and fueling Trump’s electoral fraud accusations. Since hosting one of the most watched cable news shows until its cancellation, he moved to social media, where he now hosts Tucker on X on the site formerly known as Twitter.
In September Carlson travelled to Buenos Aires to meet Javier Milei, a presidential candidate in Argentina described by many as extreme right. He also met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who claimed that the only way to end the war in Ukraine was to re-elect Donald Trump as US president. According to Spanish media reports, Carlson will interview Abascal on Tuesday, and their presence at the demonstration will be part of the images that will be broadcast alongside the interview.
Carlson admitted his unfamiliarity with Spanish politics on Monday night in Madrid, yet still gave his opinion on the amnesty.
‘I love Spain and they are trying to steal your country. That’s not how a democracy should work,’ he said.
‘You can’t give an amnesty just for people to vote for you. You have to have the rule of law. It’s very difficult to understand what’s going on in Spain if you’re not here. Your policy is complicated for an American. I want to understand it and try to explain it. If you are not Spanish, there are parts of Spain that are complicated for a foreigner,’ said Carlson.
He also told press at the protest that the anti-amnesty demonstrations are ‘not getting the coverage it deserves … we thought it deserved more coverage than it’s getting’.
On Monday, while Carlson and Abascal were being filmed, around 1,200 people took part in the demonstration, according to the government delegation. This was a decrease in comparison with the previous week.
ALSO READ: Feijóo vows to continue protests against amnesty ‘until there are new elections’.
ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez faces backlash and tough legislature ahead due to Catalan deal.
In Madrid pic.twitter.com/UclSJdFfm8
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) November 13, 2023
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1 comment
Carlson is very naïve if he thinks giving amnesty is not how politics works. If Trump gets elected while in prison, the first thing he will do is give himself amnesty!