Fox News host Tucker Carlson has slammed Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for his comments about the conflict in Ukraine.
Carlson told his primetime audience on Wednesday evening that it was “galling” to be “lectured” by people with congressional pensions about potential American sacrifices, questioning whether the Republican senator had done anything to improve Americans’ lives.
Graham had warned on Tuesday that gas and food prices would rise if Russia invaded Ukraine and compared President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler in the 1930s.
Carlson—who delivered a lengthy defense of Putin on Tuesday evening and has previously been accused of spreading Russian propaganda—showed a montage of lawmakers talking about Ukraine on Wednesday’s show.
The footage concluded with a clip of Graham saying: “My point to people here at home is you can expect gas prices to go up, you can expect food costs to go up.
“And I can tell you from history, anytime we sit silent and watch the rights of one group be eviscerated, it’s just a matter of time before it comes back to haunt us.”
Carlson, who was speaking just a few hours before Russian forces launched what the Kyiv government describes as a “full-scale invasion,” was particularly critical of the South Carolina senator’s comments.
The Fox News host said: “It’s a little galling to be lectured by people with impossibly generous congressional pensions about sacrifices that you get to make.
“But it’s especially infuriating to hear the last guy who’s speaking of food prices—who’s skipped very few meals recently—tell you that looking at history informs you of everything you need to know about the future. Really?”
Carlson also criticized Graham’s record on foreign policy.
“What sort of history are we talking about? How about last year, when the withdrawal from Afghanistan humiliated, degraded, and weakened this country? Did Lindsey Graham, who supposedly cares about the military, do a single thing to improve it?” Carlson asked.
“Did he call for the resignation of any person responsible for that humiliating disaster that resulted in the deaths of American citizens? No, he didn’t. And those same people are now in charge of our strategy in Ukraine.”
However, in August 2021, Graham called for President Joe Biden to be impeached over the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Carlson went on to say the “bigger question, really, for Lindsey Graham is: when is the last time he did anything—one thing—to improve the life of an American citizen other than himself?
“‘Gas prices are up, food prices are up.'” Well, that’s OK, because it won’t affect Lindsey Graham. He doesn’t have kids! And he’s got that generous congressional pension. He’s set.”
Addressing his viewers, Carlson said they would be “repaid in virtue” for their sacrifices.
“For the rest of your life, you can feel good about having supported something called democracy, something that is in shorter supply in this country than it’s ever been, but something we hope to defend in a country you can’t identify on a map,” he added.
