Fox News host Tucker Carlson slammed Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas as “Eye Patch McCain” after the congressman voted to approve an additional $40 billion in aid to bankroll the war in Ukraine.
Carlson made the dig on his show Monday during an interview with former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, who has accused the Biden administration of using the Ukraine conflict to wage a proxy war on Russia.
The comparison to former Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain — who often angered conservatives by siding with their opponents — came as the Fox News host called out Crenshaw for appearing to prioritize financing a foreign war while downplaying the nationwide baby formula shortage roiling the United States.
“The more I think about it, it takes a lot of gall for Eye Patch McCain to attack moms who are worried about baby formula as, quote, pro-Russia,” Carlson said. “That is probably one of the most outrageous things I have ever heard, now that I’m thinking about it.”
Essentially, he reiterated the views of countless Americans who believe their leaders should address this nation’s multiple crises — such as feeding hungry babies — before giving billions of U.S. tax dollars to other countries.
“Why is Congress so focused on Ukraine but you can’t find baby formula? You can’t even fill your truck because things in our economy are declining really rapidly?” Carlson said.
He was especially annoyed that Crenshaw repeated the disingenuous Democratic talking point that to question indefinite aid to Ukraine makes you “pro-Russia.”
“‘Don’t ask questions,’ according to Congressman Dan Crenshaw of Texas,” Carlson said. “Asking questions like that — really any questions at all — thinking you’re a citizen, makes you ‘pro-Russia.’”
Did Carlson go too far?
On Monday, Crenshaw ignited a volcanic backlash among some conservatives for his comments about those who oppose financing the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“The bad arguments that our side is making is very depressing, and they’re almost pro-Russia in their tone,” the Texas congressman said during an interview with Fox News host Trey Gowdy.
Crenshaw insisted that giving away tens of billions of U.S. tax dollars to fight Russia should be a top national priority.
Meanwhile, numerous Americans are struggling to buy groceries and pay for gas amid the historic inflation unfolding under President Joe Biden.
“It is not America first when you let Russia and China do whatever they want around the world and establish their version of a global order,” Crenshaw said. “That puts America last because we cannot prosper in a global order led by Russia and China.”
Predictably, Democrats and their corporate media lapdogs attacked Carlson over his “Eye Patch McCain” jab, claiming the Fox News host was mocking Crenshaw’s disability.
You could argue that he could’ve criticized the congressman — who lost his right eye in an explosion while serving in Afghanistan — without referencing his eye patch.
However, it’s disingenuous to suggest that Carlson was ridiculing the congressman’s injury.
As it is, the “Eye Patch McCain” meme has been all over social media for more than a year, with little manufactured liberal outrage.
Sup @DanCrenshawTX aka Eye Patch McCain pic.twitter.com/TfnzvveytC
— anarchify ? (@anarchify) January 2, 2021
— Asphalt Pirate (@BadMuthrTrucker) August 14, 2019
While it might be ideal if politics didn’t devolve into childish name-calling, that’s just not the reality of today’s toxic public discourse.
And you can attribute much (or at least part) of the blame for that to vindictive Democrats and their media allies, who spent the past seven years viciously mocking former President Donald Trump’s skin color, weight and hair, among other things.
So spare me the contrived outrage because a conservative commentator criticized a Republican lawmaker whom countless snide liberals have gleefully smeared since the day he took office.
