Tucker: Black Lives Matter is now a political party
And it may be the strongest political party in the United States.
Tucker Carlson opened his show Monday night by lambasting Minneapolis’ Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey for "groveling" to Black Lives Matter activists over the weekend in a display of what Carlson described as "manic enthusiasm and feigned empathy."
The "Tucker Carlson Tonight" host was discussing the growing movement to defund police departments across America following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
"Within days, pressure mounted on the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, to get rid of his city's police department," the host explained. "This was a problem for Frey. Frey has greater political aspirations and this was the last conversation he wanted to have. So he did his best to change the subject ... "
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Carlson then played the now-viral clip of Frey standing before a large gathering of demonstrators near his home on Saturday and confessing through a mask into a microphone that he was “coming to grips with my own brokenness.” The mayor also promised to revamp "a systemic racist system."
"Groveling ... good try ... no dice," Carlson said.
Protesters grew agitated at Grey's answers, with one unidentified person on stage demanded a "yes or no" answer from Frey as to whether he would support dismantling the police department.
"I do not support the full abolition of the Minneapolis Police Department," Frey responded.
"All right, then get the f--- out of here," the person yelled at Frey. “Go home, Jacob, go home,” demonstrators yelled, while others booed and chanted “Shame, shame, shame," as the mayor walked with his head down through the crowd.
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"What a remarkable piece of tape that is," said Carlson. "Has a big-city mayor in this country ever been more thoroughly humiliated? The correct answer to that, needless to say, is, 'Up yours, lady. I'm not going anywhere, I run the city.'
"Do you doubt that the entire crowd would've cheered Jacob Frey if he'd said that?" he continued "People always admire resolve, even when they disagree with the point of view, but that's not what Jacob Frey did. He slunk away like a child caught doing something filthy."
Carlson said perhaps the most "telling moment" of the interaction came moments before Frey was booed away from the crowd, when the lead demonstrator threatened to defeat him in the next election.
"What does that tell you?" he asked. "It tells you that Black Lives Matter is, in fact, a political party. Maybe the strongest political party of the United States as of tonight.
"Its members believe they can reshape this country and so far, they are proving to be right."
Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.