Tucker Carlson opened his program Monday night by blasting America's political leaders, who he accused of leaving everyday citizens at the mercy of the violent rioters and Antifa activists who have looted, vandalized and burned urban centers throughout the United States.

"When the mobs came, they abandoned us," the "Tucker Carlson Tonight" host said.

"The nation went up in flames this weekend. No one in charge stood up to save America. Our leaders dithered and they cowered, and they openly sided with the destroyers, and in many cases they egged them on," Carlson added. "Later, they will deny doing any of this and they're denying it now.

"You know the truth because you saw it happen. This is how nations collapse, when no one in authority keeps order. When so many in our professional class encourage violence, American citizens are forced to defend themselves and they have no choice. No one else is going to defend them -- they know that now."

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Carlson said that many Americans are filled with rage at what is happening to their communities while too many leaders stay silent or try to combat the violence through ineffective means.

"The worst people in our society have taken control," he said. "They did nothing to build the country and now they are tearing it down. They're rushing us towards mass suicide. How do we respond? We must protect ourselves and our families and once again we have no choice but to do that. But we cannot allow ourselves to become like they are."

He said that America's political leaders pit neighbor against neighbor regularly, and that now is the time to unite against such activity.

"Those are the bonds that tie us together and the bonds our leaders seek to destroy and we can't let them," Carlson said. "We should start by being on unsparingly honest about what's happening right now and the truth is our defense and it is our country's last hope."

Carlson then showed multiple videos of heartwrenching and violent scenes from across the country, including an immigrant-owned store in his Washington D.C. neighborhood decimated by looters.

"That's what's happening in America right now," Carlson said. "We didn't play all the tape we have, there's a lot of it. Some of the tape is too shocking and honestly, it's too incendiary -- you understand television is emotional medium and we do not want to make things worse.

"But the point is this is a national emergency and it's a profound national emergency. But you would never know that from listening to our elected leaders. Almost all of them pretend this is not really happening and if it is happening, it's part of America's long tradition of vigorous political discourse," he added. "Politicians on both sides tell us this is all about the death of a man in police custody in Minneapolis last week. The people burning down our country are 'protesters' and they're engaged in a legitimate 'protest'.

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"Okay, what exactly are the protesters demands?" the host asked. "What are they asking for? If Congress agreed tonight to enact the program, what with the program be? Not a single person even hints at the answer because there's is not an answer. No one bothered to poll the guys beating up old ladies on the street or looting the Guccis but you have to wonder how many of them have actually heard of George Floyd."

He added that the violent protests across the country essentially comprise the "largest Joe Biden for President rally on record," he said. "In gratitude for that, half a dozen Joe Biden for President campaign staffers donated money to the rioters ... These are their voters cleaning out the Rolex store."

Carlson concluded his monologue by putting the onus on President Trump, describing his response to the riots as "the singular test of his presidency. An hour ago he announced he was going to marshal all available forces military and civilian to stop the riots."

"We fervently hope this all works."