For months now, Fox News host Tucker Carlson has been demanding that the Trump administration “frog-march” the leaders of the social justice movement Black Lives Matter in front of television cameras in a series of “mass arrests” and charge them as domestic terrorists.
On Monday night, Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf informed the far-right Fox News star that he may soon get his wish.
In light of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s speech denouncing rioting and looting among the nationwide protests against police brutality, Carlson grumbled about the former vice president warning that Trump is inciting violence and that it could get worse if Trump is re-elected.
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“Are you worried about that?” Carlson asked Wolf.
Wolf said Biden’s warning was a “delusional statement” and that the DHS presence in Portland during recent protests didn’t contribute to an increase in violent protests.
“I think most Americans understand what is going on out there,” Wolf added. “Really, the cause of all of this is state officials, local officials not taking this seriously from day one.”
Carlson wanted to know whether Wolf felt his department was getting the help it needed from the Department of Justice before wondering aloud if the DOJ would bring up BLM and leftist movement antifa on conspiracy charges.
“Why haven’t we seen the leaders of antifa and BLM arrested and charged with conspiracy under, say, RICO like the heads of Mafia families were?” Carlson asked.
“Well, this is something that I have talked to [Attorney General William Barr] personally about,” Wolf responded. “I know that they are working on it.”
The DHS chief noted that there have been roughly 300 arrests made across the country related to civil unrest and protesting, adding that the DOJ has charged about 75 individuals with federal crimes. Wolf said Barr was “targeting and investigating the heads of those organizations” as well as those “paying for those individuals to move across the country.”
“We know they are moving around,” he continued. “We have seen them in D.C., in Sacramento, and elsewhere. They are organized. We have seen similar tactics being used from Portland and other cities across the country as well. So we know that the Department of Justice is also working on that as well.”
“You are not allowed to fund crime!” Carlson interjected, claiming, “We have domestic terrorism on a greater scale than we have had in my lifetime.” At the same time, he pressed Wolf on why the federal government hasn’t punished Black Lives Matter and other protest organizations yet.
“Again, I would say that the Department of Justice is certainly moving as quickly as possible,” Wold assured the conservative host. “Again, it is something that I have talked with the attorney general about. We are doing our role.”
“Like you, Tucker, I wish that was in a little quicker fashion,” he continued. “We’ll continue to see how that is. But again, this administration, this president is committed to holding individuals accountable.”
“I hope so,” Carlson responded, concluding by wondering once again “why are they taking so long.”
