Fox News host Tucker Carlson slammed CNN, saying the network was becoming “emissaries for Beijing” in the way they were covering the coronavirus outbreak.
“All over television, you are watching people downplay China’s role in spreading the coronavirus. Downplaying it,” Carlson said Thursday on his show. “On CNN, that’s not enough. They always go the extra step over there. Some CNN contributors have practically become emissaries for Beijing.”
Carlson played a clip of the network praising China for sending ventilators and masks to Europe while blasting the Trump administration for lacking leadership on the outbreak. “China, now stepping into the global leadership role, long abandoned by the American president,” the CNN clip said.
“It’s almost unbelievable that they ran that on the air,” Carlson responded after playing the clip. “It was just pure bootlicking. Flacking for the communist Chinese government. By the way, if they ever take over, Jeff Zucker will be there serving them.”
CNN and President Trump have continued to be at odds during the coronavirus outbreak. On Wednesday, CNN host Chris Cuomo blasted the president for using the term “Chinese virus.”
“Calling it the Chinese virus or the Wuhan virus or the Kung Flu. Listen, you may think it’s clever, but it’s hurting,” Cuomo said on his show. “The idea, ‘Well, it did come from China.’ Then why doesn’t Fauci and other top health officials, why don’t they call it that? You know why? Because it could have come from anywhere.”
Trump has said he uses the term “Chinese virus” because the communist regime attempted to blame the U.S. for the virus.
