This time, problematic, right-wing Fox News darling but bane of everyone else’s existence, Tucker Carlson, messed up big. The host of “The Tucker Carlson Show” struck a nerve with advertisers after he alluded to that immigration making the U.S. “poorer, and dirtier, and more divided.”
A series of companies immediately pulled the plug on their advertising spots in lieu of the racist statement. Companies including, IHOP, NerdWallet, Indeed Smile, Direct Club Minted, Bowflex and Pacific Life Insurance were the first to pull out after the comment sparked outrage over social media.
Pacific Life Insurance issued a statement via Twitter, saying: “As a company, we strongly disagree with Mr. Carlson’s statements. Our customer base and our workforce reflect the diversity of our great nation, something we take great pride in.”
This isn’t the first time corporate sponsors were asked to stop supporting Carlson’s show with their advertising dollars. In September 2018, Sleeping Giants, a social activism organization who asks sponsors to not support bigoted and racist media, posted an open letter on Twitter prior to Carlson’s latest faux pas.
Carlson made the statement on his highly-rated show in the midst of debating that political leaders continually wish to make immigration like it’s an act of “atonement,” instead of examining the economic implications of having accommodating and liberal immigration policies.
He said, “Instead of the U.S. adding skilled workers for its technology-driven future, the country was getting waves of people with high school education or less.”
“We have a moral obligation to admit the world’s poor they tell us, even if it makes our own country poorer, and dirtier, and more divided,” Carlson continued, “Immigration is an act of atonement. Previous leaders of our country committed sins. We must pay for those sins by welcoming an endless chain of migrant caravans.”
Of course, there is no actual “endless chain of migrant caravans.” But that didn’t stop Carlson from doubling down on his asinine rhetoric.
And, although Fox News Network has indicated that they aren’t worried about losing corporate sponsors, Carlson walked back from his initial statement and made a patronizing attempt to win back the sponsors he’d lost. This was also a sad attempt to not lose any other corporate sponsors.
He later responded: “The reason we keep going back to this topic, and let me just stipulate as I have before with you. That I, I like immigration. I like immigrants. I give every person in the caravan the benefit of the doubt. I think most really do want to come here for a better life.”
Sure, Tucker.
