Fox News host Tucker Carlson advised Republican candidates this year not to “emulate” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), telling them that their job is to “make fun” of him.
Carlson said on his show on Friday that Republicans who focus on foreign policy and the Russia-Ukraine war as Graham has done will lose their races this year because voters do not care as much about these issues.
“Your job is to make fun of Lindsey Graham and to disavow Lindsey Graham,” Carlson said. “Your job is not to emulate Lindsey Graham and steal his talking points, and if you do emulate Lindsey Graham and steal those talking points, you will lose, and the losing candidates did just that.”
Carlson pointed to the special election for New York’s 19th Congressional District last month in which Democrat Pat Ryan defeated Republican Marc Molinaro. The district is considered a swing district and narrowly favored President Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
Carlson said Molinaro, who is the county executive of Dutchess County, which includes the 19th District, told the county office building in February to illuminate its facade in Ukraine’s colors. He added that Molinaro also sent fundraising emails to voters to tell them that more aggression against Russia is needed and that Biden is weak on the issue.
In the past, Graham has been outspoken about foreign policy issues, specifically on U.S.’s withdrawal from Afghanistan one year ago and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
During an interview with Fox News in 2021, Graham said that his relationship with President Biden was at a “breaking point” over the administration’s bungled and chaotic withdrawal from the country.
“I’ve known Joe Biden for a long time, I had a good personal relationship with him. He’s a decent man. But what he did in Afghanistan I will never forgive him for, he has blood on his hands, and he’s made America less safe,” Graham said at the time.
The South Carolina senator also previously voiced support for a no-fly zone over Ukraine in May if Russia were to use chemical weapons and has been a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On Friday night, Carlson showed a clip from an interview with Joe Kent, the Republican nominee for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, in which he said members of Congress need to tell their constituents about the “ramifications” of supporting Ukraine and why foreign nations “always come first.”
Carlson said Americans should feel “sorry” for Ukrainians but have a right to want to focus on fixing the problems in their own country.