Tucker Carlson Talks Kids and Masks, President Biden… and His Surprising Thoughts on Republicans

Tucker Carlson is cable TV’s highest-rated talker, one of the most controversial, and the Fox News Channel star never pulls any punches.

“Extra’s” Billy Bush caught up with Carlson, who expanded on his recent comments about kids and masks, shared his thoughts on the Republican Party and made claims that President Joe Biden is “diminished by age.”

When it comes to people calling for Carlson to be fired over his controversial comments, Tucker takes it in stride, telling Bush, “I have so little contact with any of that. I’m not even fully aware of it.”

Billy went on to ask him specifically about comments he made regarding children wearing masks during the pandemic.

Tucker insisted, “Anyone who’s forcing children to wear masks when they exercise is committing child abuse. It’s bad for kids… I’m a father of four. I like kids and I don’t think that should be allowed. I’m sorry if they don’t like me saying it. I’m sorry if it’s against the rules to call them on their abuse, but I am.”

Bush also asked if his bosses at FOX had ever told him he’d gone too far or to back it up.

Carlson answered, “Never… We make a self-conscious effort to have people on who we disagree with on a lot of things, but we agree on one thing, to show that people are complicated. It’s not Republicans. I despise Republicans. I make that clear every day. They’re repulsive to me. I couldn’t dislike them more.”

Billy wanted to know, “What makes you say that, because people would assume you’re a conservative Republican?”

Tucker said, “I don’t think the Republican leadership does a good job of representing their own voters… I’m totally not interested in partisanships. Never have been. All I care about is having a better country.”

Bush also brought up Carlson’s claims that President Biden isn’t running things, asking, “What evidence do you have?”

“I’ve known Biden for decades,” he said. “Clearly he’s greatly diminished by age, and I think he’s being used by people around him… to enact the most radical programs in American history.”

“The evidence is the public policies he’s behind?” Billy asked. “Not like anyone inside told you, ‘Hey, bad news here’?”

Tucker answered, “Let me be clear, since you’re asking me a direct question… yes, I have personally spoken to people who know him intimately who say that he is gravely diminished by age, and I’ll leave it at that and I mean it — that’s true.”