OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has been unhinged ever since the election of President Donald Trump in 2016, but sometimes he can take it even further.
In his commentary, he accused Fox News host Tucker Carlson and decorated Iraq War veteran and former Democrat Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of being “Russian assets” and called for them to be arrested by the military.
His comments came after a segment on the ABC Daytime talk show “The View” where it was suggested that Carlson and Gabbard be investigated.
“I think DOJ, in the same way that is setting up a task force to investigate oligarchs, should look into people who are Russian propagandists and shilling for Putin,” one of the hosts, Ana Navarro said. “If you are a foreign asset to a dictator it should be investigated.”
Her comments came as they were discussing a story by Mother Jones, a progressive website, that said it had a leaked memo from the Kremlin that suggested it is “essential to use as much as possible fragments of broadcasts of the popular Fox News host Tucker Carlson,” for propaganda purposes during its war with Ukraine.
Navarro went on to continue her attack on Gabbard.
“I even hate that we’re discussing it. I think to myself, who is this woman? She’s no longer in Congress … the fact that we’re giving her oxygen is what makes her relevant,” she said. “On the other hand, how do you not call out something that is repeating false Russian propaganda and has been brought down?”
If someone considers themselves to be a journalist, as Olbermann does, then you might think that they would not like the idea of people being arrested due to their opinions.
But if you have paid any attention to Olbermann you know there are not many ideas too insane for him.
“They are Russian Assets and there is a war,” he said. “There’s a case for detaining them militarily. Trials are a sign of good faith and patience on the part of democracy.”
They are Russian Assets and there is a war. There's a case for detaining them militarily. Trials are a sign of good faith and patience on the part of democracy.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 14, 2022
This is a partial transcript of what was said on “The View.”
Goldberg: “The website, ‘Mother Jones’ posted a leaked Kremlin war memo instructing Russian state media to play Tucker Carlson clips as much as possible, and Tulsi Gabbard is being accused of spreading Russian false flag propaganda. Here’s what they’ve both been saying about the war. Take a look.”
Carlson: “Democrats in Washington have told you that you have a patriotic duty to hate Vladimir Putin. It’s not a suggestion. It’s a mandate. Anything less than hatred for Putin is treason. Hating Putin has become the central purpose. Secret bio labs? Like the ones that Ukraine definitely doesn’t have? Ukraine has those? Yes, it does.”
GABBARD: “There are 25 to 30 U.S.-funded bio labs in Ukraine. According to the U.S. Government, these bio labs are conducting research on dangerous pathogens. Now like Covid, these pathogens know no borders. If they are inadvertently breached or compromised, it would spread throughout the rest of the world causing untold suffering and death.”
Goldberg: “So Mitt Romney claims Gabbard is pushing treasonous lies that could cost lives. So I’m just going to open it up to the table. What the hell is going on?”
GRIFFIN: “I think Mitt Romney is absolutely right by the way. So what this is, is the Russians are spreading propaganda to try to create a pretext for potentially using chemical weapons against the Ukrainians.”
BEHAR: “Right.”
GRIFFIN: “They’re parroting what Tucker Carlson parrots on Fox News and Tulsi Gabbard is saying, it’s helping them get away with acts against Ukrainian civilians. It’s hard to understand is we’re watching in horror as people are killing mothers in maternity wings. Can you imagine taking the position of Putin, ah, not so bad of a guy?”
BEHAR: “I don’t know how he gets away with that.”
GRIFFIN: “He’s the most watched man in cable news. It’s actually really scary.”
BEHAR: “Tucker and Laura Ingraham and Tulsi Gabbard. All of them.”
NAVARRO: “The Fox board of directors should step in. If they call themselves patriots and, you know, it’s not enough to be posting flags about Ukraine. There’s enough people on that board of directors list like my friend Paul Ryan who I wish would be weighing in saying, we cannot be Russian state TV. At least not every hour.”
HOSTIN: “I guess for me the question is, what is in it for someone like Tucker Carlson, right.”
BEHAR: “Money.”
HOSTIN: “Is it money? Who’s paying him that money? I’m not making any allegations, but it’s just — it doesn’t make sense that he would do this kind of thing. I mean, he also says that the United States helped encourage the Russian invasion. He said the United States engineered a crew in Ukraine in the name of democracy. He as you just mentioned the confirmed the Russian claims about bio weapons and he’s characterizing this as a border dispute, right?”
BEHAR: “God.”
HOSTIN: “And so what is in it for him? I know he’s visited Moscow and other places. You can tell me in my ear if I’m wrong about that. I just don’t understand what the impetus is.”
BEHAR: “I hope he’s planning to move to Moscow. He’s not going to be welcome here for much longer.”
HOSTIN: “Do his viewers like it?”
NAVARRO: “I don’t think he’s getting dropped at all, but that’s an incredibly relevant question, and I think DoJ in the same way that it is setting up a task force to investigate oligarchs should look into people who are Russian propagandists and shilling for Putin. It should be investigated, and, in fact, I remember when Tulsi Gabbard, and I hate that we’re discussing it because I think to myself, who is this woman? She’s a, you know, she’s no longer in Congress. She’s a failed presidential candidate.”
BEHAR: “Yeah.”
NAVARRO: “She only practically exists on Twitter, and if that is correct we’re giving her oxygen is what makes her relevant, but we’re talking about her on hot topics, but on the other hand, how do you not call out something that is repeating false Russian propaganda and been brought down?”
Goldberg: “They used to arrest people for doing stuff like this. If they thought you were colluding with a Russian agent or putting out information or taking information and handing over to Russia, they used to investigate stuff like this, and I guess now, you know, there seems to be no bars, and people are not being told to hate Putin. Putin doesn’t need a reason to be hated. It’s pretty much clear.”
HOSTIN: “He started a war.”
Goldberg: “An unnecessary war that nobody wanted.”
BEHAR: “Isn’t this contributing to the death and destruction of the country and the civilians there?”
Goldberg: “This is why I say, how can people — how can they pat themselves on the back and say, good job? When you know he just blew up a — he blew up a hospital with children. Fox viewers know it. They see it.”
HOSTIN: “Fox viewers do know it. My concern also is the Russian people don’t know it.”
BEHAR: “No.”
HOSTIN: “I know this weekend and correct me if I’m wrong, I think Instagram was taken down in Russia.”
Goldberg: “Yes.”
HOSTIN: “They almost have a digital curtain now over all information coming out of Russia, and I think a lot of Russians that have been reporting, they believe that this war is some sort of great mission.”
NAVARRO: “They think it’s a peacekeeping mission because that’s what’s being reported.”
Goldberg: “Except for the people out protesting.”
NAVARRO: “Right.”
Goldberg: “Yes. Yes.”
NAVARRO: “It’s almost impossible to believe, and then you realize there’s people in America who think January 6th was, you know, some sort of patriotic act.”
Goldberg: “Yes.”
NAVARRO: “Misinformation works.”
Goldberg: “It does, but, you know, those who know should keep their eyes on what’s going on because this affects everybody. We’ll be right back.”
