Fox News host Tucker Carlson lauded America's criminal justice system and told survivors of sexual violence that it is "your obligation as a citizen" to report incidents to the police. He offered the sweeping comments during Tuesday's broadcast of "Tucker Carlson Tonight."
"None of us ought to be in the investigations business in the first place: political parties, college administrators, cable news yappers," Carlson continued. "All of us: We're not people you want determining anybody's guilt or innocence. We're not qualified for that. We've got a legal mechanism for doing that."
Carlson's remarks followed an update on the sexual assault accusation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, in which Christine Blasey Ford alleges that he attempted to rape her in 1982. The two have been invited to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. "Without a lot more evidence, it is hard to see anybody proving anything, regardless of how many hearings are held," Carlson said.
However, Ford has requested an independent FBI investigation into the sexual assault claim in order to "ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a non-partisan manner and that the committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing or making any decisions," according to a letter from her legal team.
Carlson did not mention it, Republican resistance to the independent probe or the fact that Republicans limited the special hearing on Monday to witness testimony from only Kavanaugh and Ford. Instead, he placed the onus on survivors of sexual violence.
READ MORE: How YouTube became a powerful far-right propaganda organ
"If you believe a crime has been committed against you, you report it," the Fox News host said. "That would include theft, embezzlement and, yes, sexual assault. Go to the police. It's not always easy, obviously. But it's still your obligation as a citizen — not at least to protect the rest of us from whomever you believe did it. The police investigate, and a judge or jury renders a verdict. That's due process — it's the cornerstone of our system."
"It's not flawless, but for almost 250 years our justice system has function pretty well," Carlson added. "In fact, better than any other country in the world. It's pretty straightforward."
That is, until recently, Carlson argued, accusing the left of automatically believing that Kavanaugh is guilty without evidence, because they allegedly believe that all men are guilty. "That's the catechism of the church of late-stage feminism," he said.
Carlson's statements about a woman's responsibility to report sexual assault differ substantially from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's. During an appearance Monday on "The View," Schumer recognized that accusing a powerful man of sexual misconduct "puts you and your family through incredible scrutiny."
And he reminded ABC viewers that Ford did not want this allegation to become public. Accordingly, he argues that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) did the right thing in keeping her letter confidential, because "when a women is abused, it is her prerogative as to how, where, when, why, if at all, it should come out."
Shares