Tucker Carlson backlash tells us something important about some Trump supporters

(CNN) Traitor. Globalist. Sellout.

Those weren't the insults reserved for a CNN or MSNBC anchor on Friday. No, those were the insults aimed at conservative media darling Tucker Carlson. In what feels like the most severe moment of backlash since his Fox News show premiered in 2016, Carlson is fielding criticism from the right.

Carlson angered some of his audience Thursday when he called out Sidney Powell, President Trump's attorney who has peddled wild conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Carlson was careful not to deviate too far from the party line, opening his show with deference to the fraud claims presented by Rudy Giuliani. He also offered up reasons his audience should trust him. He explained to his viewers that he had reached out to Powell for supporting evidence with an open mind. And he pointed out his coverage of the Russia probe and how he never rules anything out — even UFOs.

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A dose of reality

Now I don't bring this up to suggest that Carlson deserves accolades for acknowledging the truth of the matter on his program. Injecting a dose of reality into one's coverage shouldn't be cause for praise. And that's not what I'm getting at.

But what is remarkable is that, ever since he called out Powell, Carlson has been the subject of denunciation by some on the right. His mentions on Twitter have been flooded with disappointed viewers saying that they feel betrayed by him. Right-wing websites have homed in on the controversy. And pro-Trump internet personalities have criticized him for having the nerve to challenge Powell. .......(more)

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/21/media/tucker-carlson-fox-news-traitor/index.html