After it was made public that President Trump had requested the Pentagon to plan a military parade through Washington, DC, there was a steady stream of forceful condemnation of the President in which they claimed he was imitating foreign dictators. And in an appearance on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight Thursday, Hill media reporter Joe Concha knocked them for playing up their outrage and playing to an audience.
“I know you are not a physician and I'm not either. But, do you think it's healthy to be as angry as a lot of these cable figures seem to be all the time every day,” Carlson quipped to Concha’s apparent amusement.
“Oh, I think we’re seeing a lot more performance art at this point, Tucker. I think we have talked about this,” Concha explained. “They are playing to a crowd. They know that their audience primarily is anti-Trump on some other networks. And they are just playing into their emotions. I don't even think they are angry about half this stuff. They say, “Okay, what can we do to rile up our audience today?”
After introducing Concha to his viewers, Carlson admitted that he really didn’t care whether or not a military parade was held. But he did find humor in the idea of the anti-Trump resistance trying to protest it: “A Green Party candidate for something, who said he was going to stand in front of the tanks like tank man in Tiananmen Square in '89. Would he be joined by reporters, do you think?”
Concha joked that judging from the all the clip of angry journalists he played many in the media would join the liberal man. He then went on to point out just how ridiculous it was to get all up in arms over a parade:
I go to a couple parades that go on there per year. In fact, there are actually more than 20 parades per year basically almost every week during the summer in New York … The point is we have a lot of parades in this country and even outside this country, South Korea, where the Winter Olympics are starting tomorrow they had military parades. France you mentioned that before, it’s where the President got his idea.
The Hill media reporter expertly made the observation that if one was to substitute the name “Trump” in the headlines with a Democrat the media fawned over, then all their outrage just wouldn’t be there. “And let's say Joe Biden said: “You know what would be a great idea? To honor the folks in our military July 4th, in Washington, D.C.” Would you see one snip of a reaction? I don't think so,” he said.
The relevant portions of the transcript are below, click expand to read:
Fox News Channel
Tucker Carlson Tonight
February 8, 2018
8:47:34 PM EasternTUCKER CARLSON: It’s a bit bad if the President likes something the press will hate it. It’s like a physics principle opposite reaction thing. Reaching new extremes on that though, this week it emerged that after visiting France the president became enthusiastic about a military parade and thought why should have one here like the one after World War II or Desert Storm. So, of course, he was labeled a tyrant almost immediately.
(…)
CARLSON: Who let all the dumb people on TV? It’s unbelievable. Joe Concha covers the media for The Hill he joins us tonight. So, Joe, my favorite. By the way, I'm totally agnostic. I just don't have any strong feelings one way or the other, but I do love the guy—I think he was a Green Party candidate for something, who said he was going to stand in front of the tanks like tank man in Tiananmen Square in '89. Would he be joined by reporters, do you think?
JOE CONCHA: It’s sounding like it based on that montage, Tucker. Look, I'm in New Jersey. Background kind of gives that away. And in New York, I go to a couple parades that go on there per year. In fact, there are actually more than 20 parades per year basically almost every week during the summer in New York. I mean, you have the Coney Island mermaid parade, you have the Pulaski parade which honors a Polish American hero from the American revolutionary war. Then you have the big ones like Macy's and the Saint Patrick's day parade which I may or may not have been too. The details are sketchy. The point is we have a lot of parades in this country and even outside this country, South Korea, where the Winter Olympics are starting tomorrow they had military parades. France you mentioned that before, it’s where the President got his idea.
Look, I always love to play a game in these situations. Take out the name “Trump” proposes military parade and put in a name like Biden. And let's say Joe Biden said: “You know what would be a great idea? To honor the folks in our military July 4th, in Washington, D.C.” Would you see one snip of a reaction? I don't think so.
CARLSON: Can I ask you sort of a meta question here? If Trump is a dangerous authoritarian dictator, why does it seem like left-wing federal judges are making all the key decisions?
CONCHA: That's a very good point. I mean, as far as press freedoms, I can at least speak to that. We had a daily briefing today. We’ve had daily briefings almost every day. And reporters are still on Air Force One. It seems the freedom of the press in terms of the opinions and the ability to report hasn't been impeded in any way. So, the totalitarianism argument doesn't seem to really apply here.
(…)
CARLSON: So, very quickly, I know you are not a physician and I'm not either. But, do you think it's healthy to be as angry as a lot of these cable figures seem to be all the time every day?
CONCHA: Oh, I think we’re seeing a lot more performance art at this point, Tucker. I think we have talked about this. They are playing to a crowd. They know that their audience primarily is anti-Trump on some other networks. And they are just playing into their emotions. I don't even think they are angry about half this stuff. They say, “Okay, what can we do to rile up our audience today?”
CARLSON: Good. I hope not because I'm starting to worry about Jim Acosta. Is he going to be okay? But that's reassuring. Joe, thank you very much.
