Tucker Carlson delivered a blistering rebuke of President Donald Trumps recent attacks on Gold Star husband and former national security official Joe Kent, accusing the president of crossing a moral line by mocking a widowers decision to remarry.
Kent, who served as Trumps Director of the National Counterterrorism until his resignation in March over opposition to the administrations Iran policy, has become the latest target of the presidents ire, according to Mediaite. Shortly after Kent stepped down, Trump publicly derided him for having remarried fairly quickly following the 2019 death of his first wife, Shannon Kent, a U.S. intelligence officer killed by a suicide bomber in Syria.
His wife was killed, the president said in March. He remarried fairly quickly. His wife was killed and I felt badly for him. He ran for Congress, he lost. He ran for Congress again and he lost. Kent, who ultimately remarried in 2023, had previously mounted two unsuccessful congressional bids in Washington state on a populist, America First platform closely aligned with Trumps own stated agenda.
Appearing on SiriusXM with Megyn Kelly on Thursday, Carlson argued that Trumps rhetoric toward Kent and other widowers betrays a troubling personal attack style that undermines the conservative movements claim to defend family values. Kelly pointed out that Trump had also gone after Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) for remarrying a year after his wifes sudden death, calling the pattern disturbing: Its really unbelievable how the president has attacked, not only Massies remarriage after he lost his wife, but Joe Kents remarriage four years later, after his wife was killed. I mean, its insane.
Carlson then escalated his criticism by tying Kents tragedy directly to decisions made during Trumps tenure. And killed by who? Killed by Donald Trumps administration. Joe Kents wife was killed, the mother of his two sons was killed as a [counterintelligence] officer in Syria by a suicide bomb. What was she doing there? She was sent there by the Trump administration to fight another one of Israels wars. So, its a decision that Donald Trump made that got Joe Kents wife killed. Thats a fact. Its not interpretation. Its a fact. And now Trump is attacking the guy for getting remarried after that wife is killed serving his administration? Its its almost too much.
Four years later, Kelly interjected, underscoring the time that had passed before Kent remarried. Carlson simply replied, Yes.
Kelly then contrasted Trumps attacks on widowers with his own well-known marital history, arguing that moral double standards damage the credibility of the right. I mean, like, not to put too fine a point on it, but Donald Trump cheated on his wife Ivana Trump with Marla Maples. It was extremely infamous and all over the papers. How criticize these honorable men who lost wives for finding love years later? Its truly galling. Its way below the belt.
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