Fox News host Tucker Carlson has faced wide condemnation for mocking Nancy Pelosi’s appearance on his Monday night show, comparing the House speaker to deceased pop star Michael Jackson.
“Michael Jackson was on Face the Nation,” claimed the news host, before cutting to a clip of Ms Pelosi as she appeared on the CBS news politics show
“There’s nothing more important for us to do than protect our constitution and our democracy, what Republicans are doing across the country is really a legislative continuation of what they did on 6 January, which is to undermine our democracy,” said Ms Pelosi in the clip.
Of the video, Mr Carlson said with a straight face, “this wasn’t a video of Michael Jackson performing his hit songs of the 1990s. This appeared to be a living version of the international pop star that news reports claimed died of a drug OD more than a dozen years ago. And yet despite those claims there he was, fully, undeniably Michael Jackson talking on television.”
In full parody mode: “This is merely a news programme,” said the Fox News host, who sparked a debate on social media as to whether it was appropriate to flick between comedian and “news presenter”.
“Did you actually use the word ‘news’ in relation to your show?” said one user. “Professionalism has gone down the drain,” said another. “Let’s not even pretend he’s a journalist. It would be an insult to journalists,” wrote another.
Other users said it was “sick” to make “fun of someone’s appearance”.
Mr Carlson concluded that Michael Jackson had “given up singing about Billie Jean and is now talking about politics. Same man. If you have ever seen Michael Jackson you cannot forget the man, admittedly he’s had a lot of work done,” he jibed.
The Independent has contacted Fox News for comment.
