Fox News host Tucker Carlson questioned Senator Tammy Duckworth’s patriotism, and the Iraq War veteran and double amputee has now responded.
When asked during a CNN interview on Sunday if statues of George Washington, for example, should come down, Duckworth said, “Well, let me just say that we should start off by having a national dialogue on it,” later adding: “I think we should listen to everybody.”
Carlson addressed her comments on his show Monday, saying, “You’re not supposed to criticize Tammy Duckworth in any way because she once served in the military. Most people just ignore her. But when Duckworth does speak in public, you’re reminded what a deeply silly and unimpressive person she is.”
He continued: “A national dialogue. Please. They’re not looking for any kid of colloquy. What they want is a soliloquy. We speak, you shut up and listen.”
“So what to make of all of this? Well it’s long been considered out of bounds to question a person’s patriotism,” Carlson continued. “It’s a very strong charge, and we try not ever to make it. But in the face of all of this, the conclusion can’t be avoided. These people actually hate America. There’s no longer a question about that.”
“And yet paradoxically, at the same time, they desperately want to control America more than anything,” he continued. “And that leads to the most basic of all questions: Can you really lead a country that you hate?”
Duckworth, 52, is among those mentioned as a potential vice presidential pick for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
After Carlson made the remarks, Duckworth, a Purple Heart recipient, responded on Twitter.
“Does @TuckerCarlson want to walk a mile in my legs and then tell me whether or not I love America?” she tweeted.
Duckworth, who lost both of her legs in the Iraq War, is a junior senator from Illinois. In 2018, she wrote a letter to her younger self for the “Note to Self” series on “CBS This Morning.” In it, she wrote about her experience in the U.S. Army.
“You will almost die, but you’ll make it – just barely. Your survival won’t have anything to do with your own abilities. You’ll make it out alive completely because of the grit, sacrifice and outright heroism of others,” she wrote. “You haven’t done anything to be worthy of their sacrifices, but these heroes will give you a second chance at life anyway.”
In the note, Duckworth also writes about her decision to run for Congress after leaving the Army. “You’ll remember that you are a Soldier and that you will never give up, never abandon the mission and as an officer, it is your responsibility to take care of your troops,” she wrote.
The “Note to Self” was written shortly before Duckworth became the first senator to give birth while in office.
CBS News has reached out to Duckworth and Carlson for comment.
