CNN cries: America is in a 'constitutional crisis'

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CNN cries: America is in a 'constitutional crisis'

Radio host Joe Concha makes the case that most of the people on CNN saying that America is in a 'constitutional crisis' are not legal scholars.

This is a rush transcript from "Tucker Carlson Tonight," October 11, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

TUCKER CARLSON, HOST: This is a Fox News Alert. Any moment now, the President will be addressing supporters in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Just before arriving, the President announced the departure of his acting DHS Secretary. He should have plenty to say tonight, too, about Ukraine, his 2020 rivals and who knows what else. It was a remarkable rally last night, we expect another tonight. We'll go to the President as soon as he begins to speak.

But in the meantime, good evening, and welcome to “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” An update on the story we've been following for the last few days. So by day, Steve Kerr is the coach of the Golden State Warriors basketball team in the State of California. But in his spare time, Kerr moonlights as a political pundit. He is always happy to share his hot take on American politics. He is like a one-man Twitter.

The President is a racist, he'll say and you have too many guns. When Steve Kerr talks like that, the people around him applaud. They think he is brave for saying things that not a single person in their world disagrees with.

It's the kind of bravery that echoes consensus and bows before power, which is to say it's not bravery at all. It's cowardice.

Just the other day, someone asked Steve Kerr what he thinks of the government of China? The government has constructed the largest police state in the history of the human race. Maybe because the NBA does do a great deal with business in China, Kerr suddenly seem flummoxed by the question, fascism or democracy? It's a tough choice, he said, I don't want to weigh in.

But as Steve Kerr discovered last night, sometimes you don't have a choice. He was asked again about China, and this time he answered the question. Sure, he said, China has problems, but so does the United States. I mean, China is a racist ethno state that sends religious minorities to concentration camps and executes political prisoners to steal their organs. But in America, they sell guns at Walmart.

Surely there's a moral equivalence there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE KERR, COACH, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: It has not come up in terms of people asking me about it, people discussing it. No. Nor has our record of human rights abuses come up either.

People in China didn't ask me about, you know, people owning AR-15s and mowing each other down in a mall. I wasn't asked that question.

The world is a complex place and there's more gray than black and white.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Some things aren't that gray though. Like putting Muslims in concentration camps by the hundreds of thousands.

Steve Kerr in the NBA it turns out were made for each other, tailor made. The NBA epitomizes modern woke capital ruthlessness under the guise of compassion. So of course they employ Kerr who epitomizes the modern, mindless elite left.

Kerr is happy to trash his own country whenever he gets the chance. He gets to feel good doing it and gives up not one thing in return. He receives only accolades.

But when real evil stares him in the face, he has nothing to say. What's the difference? The difference is real evil is powerful and there are costs to opposing it. You can get hurt.

There are also rewards for accepting it. Both Kerr and the NBA have made their choice very clear.

Earlier this week, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver claimed the NBA is ready to stand by free speech no matter what the consequences from China. He lapped up the subsequent praise from the press corps, which is no surprise. Our media loves to cover for China, too.

But it was all a lie. Several NBA teams are currently on an exhibition tour in China right now. So that presents a rare opportunity. Unlike ordinary people, superstar NBA players can say whatever they want, they could speak their minds about China's regime. They could get attention and avoid consequences.

You're going to put some NBA player in jail? No. They had a golden opportunity to speak real truth to real power, but the NBA stopped them.

Today, the NBA announced that none of the players on the tour in China will be able to speak to the media for the rest of the trip. Wouldn't want any of them using their free speech the wrong way and criticizing their Chinese masters.

They're all like this, by the way. The coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich. He is aggressively political. He calls the President a soulless coward who brings up the dark side in human beings. Okay, whatever.

In 2016, he bragged that as an American, he was allowed to speak his mind on anything. Yes. That's absolutely right. But what is he using that free speech for? He is not using it at all.

When asked him about the NBA in China, which is a critical -- the critical issue as of today -- Popovich has nothing to say. Instead, he blasted Trump for his handling of the Jamal Khashoggi assassination last year, that's a non sequitur. I mean, whatever.

But what does it have to do with China? Nothing. Why did he answer that? Well, because Saudi Arabia has a smaller basketball market than China does. So there's no risk.

By the way, where's Dallas Mavericks' owner, Mark Cuban. He has never been afraid to speak his mind. He has got an interesting mind and a lot to say. He has come on this show at least once, maybe twice, to tell us what he thinks. But so far, he's had nothing at all to say about China and its control over the NBA.

So what does all of this prove? It proves what you've known for a long time. The ruling class is totally phony. They're weak and they're pathetic. And that's obvious now.

They talk a big game about human rights. We care about people. Happy to lecture you about democracy and about their own moral vitality. They are way more impressive than you are. But it was all a sham. They didn't mean a word of it.

The single biggest threat to your freedoms right now as Americans is not Russia or Saudi Arabia or Iran or Donald Trump. No. The single greatest threat to your freedom right now, as you well know, we all know, is China. China is the threat, and anyone who thinks otherwise isn't simply clueless, they are an accomplice.

Jason Whitlock is actually willing to speak his mind. So naturally, he hosts FS One's "Speak for Yourself," which he does. He joins us tonight. Jason, thanks so much for coming on.

The NBA had this stumble a couple of days ago at the beginning of this story, this story about China, and you thought maybe they would recover and do the obvious, really the only thing which is to take the side of America, but they still haven't, why?

JASON WHITLOCK, FOX SPORTS ONE HOST: Tucker, I really want to put you and your audience on the cutting edge of this discussion. Stick with me here.

CARLSON: Yes.

WHITLOCK: I'm going to try to explain this. It's very simple actually. Nike is in control of basketball -- the NBA, college basketball, high school. Nike is the real person driving this conversation in this thing with China.

If you go back to -- and I'm going to connect it to politics -- in 2015, in May of 2015, President Barack Obama went to Nike's headquarters in Portland, Oregon and announced his defense of the TPP - Trans-Pacific Partnership.

CARLSON: That's right.

WHITLOCK: A deal that was going to be very favorable for Nike, for China. Who is the President that came after Obama and walked America away from the TPP? Donald Trump. Who is the shoe company that employs LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick and these other athletes that smear Donald Trump as racist? Who are the people constantly criticizing Donald Trump? NBA, Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich.

The NBA answers to Nike. Nike is a $40 billion business. The NBA is an $8 billion business. President Obama, the basketball President, friendly relationship with the NBA, went to Nike's headquarters to announce his defense of the TPP.

This thing is very simple. This is about money. This is about a President that won't cooperate with what Nike wants done. Nike is using the NBA and its leverage over the NBA to go after this guy because they disagree with him about his policies as it relates to trade in China. It's very simple.

CARLSON: That is a very fascinating -- that is a fascinating story and I guess it makes you wonder if Nike is calling the shots -- I mean, so the NBA is not basically you're saying an independent organization. I mean, they're truly beholden to just one company.

WHITLOCK: The NBA answers to Nike. The NBA answers to Nike. Basketball exists to sell shoes. Nike has, I think, 92 to 93 percent of the basketball market in America. It owns American Basketball.

Nike is the real bully in the ring here. They are influencing American culture. They are addicted to the market in China. They have the relationships that can't -- they've got 1.4 billion people over there that Nike needs to sell shoes to.

Nike's use of Asian labor -- inexpensive. This has been documented for years. This is a huge --

CARLSON: So why does nobody say that? I mean, I believe what you're saying because there's nobody -- I mean, I'm just being honest. I don't trust anyone on these questions -- than you.

WHITLOCK: Oh, you can look it up. These are facts.

CARLSON: But why wouldn't we discuss this? Why are you one of the only people making this point? I mean, there are lots of people covering sports out there. Why does nobody say this?

WHITLOCK: Because most people are looking at the low-hanging fruit. Most people are trying to please their Twitter feed more than be journalists and just go look at the facts.

And so American journalists, we're so addicted to Twitter and being retweeted and liked and going viral. And so smearing Trump and getting in a feud with Trump is the easiest way.

And look, Nike does a hell of a job of managing its relationship with the American sports media. They do a hell of a job. They're very nice to the American sports media.

Look, ESPN, they have a relationship with the NBA. They needed to be very successful. There's no real incentive to go look for the facts. And the facts are so obvious.

I'm begging you, people watching at home, your producers, punch it into Google. It's all there. Obama, May 2015 at Nike's headquarters, why did he choose Nike's headquarters to announce your defense of the TPP? Go look it up where President Trump has been on the TPP. He is the guy against it.

It all makes sense. It's all obvious.

CARLSON: Nike controls the NBA and at the same time speaks for the government of China. An amazing -- an amazing story. And I hope our viewers will be checking it out. They probably are, even as we're speaking. Jason Whitlock. Thank you for that.

WHITLOCK: Thank you, Tucker.

CARLSON: John Daniel Davidson is the Political Editor at "The Federalist" and he joins us tonight. So, John, this is one of those stories that I honestly expected to have gone away by now because it makes the NBA look -- it's indefensible. It is infuriating people. But they seem to be doubling down.

JOHN DANIEL DAVIDSON, POLITICAL EDITOR, "THE FEDERALIST": Oh, yes, it's terrible. You know, these comments by Steve Kerr were not only just offensive on their face, they're also stupid. It's stupid to compare U.S. gun ownership with the human rights abuses of the Chinese Communist Party. Give me a break.

The other thing is that Steve Kerr should know better. This is a guy whose grandfather helped the Armenians during the genocide in 1915, who grew up in Beirut, whose father was assassinated by the PLO. He should know something and have something to say about authoritarian regimes and tyranny.

His brother is a Chinese scholar, too. So he doesn't have any excuse for not -- he knows what's going on in China. Everyone at the NBA knows what's going on in China and now everybody in America who follows the NBA knows what's going on in China.

But you know, it's not just the NBA. All of these major companies and all of these different industries are doing the same thing that the NBA is doing and now there's a really bright light being shined on it.

CARLSON: What does it say though, if we're producing leaders in this country, if our system produces people like Steve Kerr, you know, making a lot of money, high profile gig are considered moral leaders to some extent, and they can't unequivocally say I choose my country over the fascist government of China.

DAVIDSON: Yes, I think progressive elites like to hate America, and they like to sort of loathe America. And part of the reason for it, I think, is because they want the rest of us to understand that they need or that we need them. We need them to lead us. We need them to explain to us that the world is a complex place. It's not all black and white. And we need their wisdom, because we're just simple Americans who can't understand how bad our country is.

We're not enlightened, like the progressive elites who have all the power and all the money -- I think that's part of it, besides just greed, I suppose.

CARLSON: The world is a complex place. What's not complex is the question that Steve Kerr was asked, what do you think about China's ban on free speech and democracy as an American and the answer is really simple. It's appalling.

You know, I choose America over China. They can't say that. So like as the conflict between United States and China becomes more overt, and the stakes become higher, and that's all inevitable. Like, what kind of position are we in when our elites won't even stand up for our side?

DAVIDSON: Yes, yes, the NBA won't say it. Apple won't say it. Delta Airlines won't say it. You know, all of these companies won't do anything to jeopardize access to Chinese markets.

You also have major U.S. tech firms --

CARLSON: So why are conservatives arguing that they should have lower tax rates, if I could just say? I'm sorry, this infuriates me so much. I can't control myself. Why should we be arguing for lower corporate tax rates or for any economic policy that helps a company that would betray the United States? Why are we abetting this garbage, which we are?

DAVIDSON: You bring up a good point. I think those are things that we need to rethink. We need to rethink the connection between our national security strategy and our economic activity, and maybe tie the two together a little bit more. China certainly does.

CARLSON: You think? Atlanta Hartsfield Airport is obviously a big hub for Delta. If Delta can't choose the United States over China, if what you say is correct, then, you know, like, let's take a close look at the taxpayer subsidies going into their hubs. Like why are we paying for this garbage for our own destruction?

DAVIDSON: Yes, I know. I absolutely -- this is a conversation that needs to happen.

CARLSON: Yes.

DAVIDSON: And if we have to have Steve Kerr saying idiotic things on national television to have that conversation, so be it.

CARLSON: Well, that's it. That's exactly right. I'm glad he did. John, thank you.

DAVIDSON: Thanks.

CARLSON: Up next, we have a Special Edition of the Dan Bungie News Explosion. There's just too many stories this week to keep track of, which ones will the President address tonight? Dan Bongino will pick. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLSON: It's Friday. Those distant explosions you here are the Dan Bongino News Explosion. President Trump is going to speak any moment in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Our favorite New York City cop and the author of the new book, "Exonerated" is here with his picks for this week's top stories. Will the President address these tonight? We will find out. Dan Bongino joins us now. Hey, Dan.

DAN BONGINO, CONTRIBUTOR: Tucker, always good to see you, always -- it would be interesting going right before the President. Would it be fascinating if he talked about these three stories, too?

Always tough on Friday getting the top three. Let's try to squeeze them in. Story number three, Tucker. This liberal tolerance dreaded air quotes is getting really dangerous.

CARLSON: I've noticed.

BONGINO: As we saw again last night, sadly in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They walked outside, a bunch of peaceful Trump supporters. Some of them unfortunately were assaulted, right, as they left the rally.

You know, you know, I love props for these segments, Tucker. I swear I was looking around for my daughter's play Captain America shield, and I couldn't find it. So shame on me.

But I was going to recommend you bring one of those vibranium Captain America shields if you're a Trump supporter. You may need it to deflect the liberal rocks and stones they'll throw at you.

CARLSON: They probably would.

BONGINO: It's a sad state of affairs. You know, terrible. Next time, I'll be better prepared with the prop now. We're moving, so I couldn't find it.

All right, story number two. Listen, I'd like to start and instill kind of a new segment here. Maybe fraud of the week or fraud of the month. This one was an easy one. Elizabeth Warren, who, Tucker amazingly, cannot seem to get her own autobiography right.

You know, the auto part of the biography, like who knows that Tucker Carlson story better than Tucker Carlson or vice versa with Dan Bongino.

Elizabeth Warren can't seem to get her own story right. She makes this allegation in this repeated campaign stump speech that she was let go of a job because she was pregnant.

Well, Elizabeth Warren herself as we could see in this video here, Elizabeth Warren is refuting Elizabeth Warren's own story. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN, D-MASS., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I was visibly pregnant and the principal did what principals did in those days. Wished me luck and hired someone else for the job.

Wished me luck and hired someone else for the job.

Wished me luck and hired someone else for the job.

Wished me luck and hired someone else for the job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BONGINO: Well, that's not exactly what Elizabeth Warren said in 2007 when she was interviewing. It was at California Berkeley and said she left the job, made some different life decisions.

You know -- and Tucker, you know what's fascinating? By the way, here is your trophy, fraud of the week. Tucker, you like that? The gold.

CARLSON: I like it.

BONGINO: Actually it's the same trophy for Best Actor last week for Adam Schiff, so loser Adam Schiff, whoever beat you to the house first, you can claim your trophy.

CARLSON: Perfect. It's an all-purpose trophy.

BONGINO: Yes, it's all purpose. I don't have that many trophies in the house. I was better at sports. So Elizabeth Warren --

CARLSON: So her new story, you just -- this one is contradicted by her previous account, has she squared the two?

BONGINO: No, but here's what's fascinating. She is doubling down and saying, well, I've told the story a few times and even worse, Tucker, the media is running to her defense. "The Washington Post" and others are running stories. Hey, listen, pregnant women were fired in the 70s and the 60s all the time for being pregnant.

CARLSON: "The Washington Post" is a disgrace.

BONGINO: Yes, by the way, no doubt that happened, Tucker.

CARLSON: Yes, no longer a newspaper.

BONGINO: But that just didn't happen to Elizabeth Warren, just like there are actual American Indians, but Elizabeth Warren isn't one of them. Like that's the problem.

We're not alleging that they didn't happen in the 60s and 70s. It just didn't happen to Elizabeth Warren. And she should be ashamed of --

CARLSON: She should have to declare that coverage as a contribution to her campaign because that's in effect what it is.

BONGINO: Do you think? I mean, all the Democrats for that matter. It's ridiculous. All right. Story number one. I am blowing the whistle. What is that? A legal motion the NFL? Another whistleblower. How many whistleblowers are we going to have about a story, Tucker, about a transcript? I got it. Here it is -- that we can all read.

I printed page one. This is unclassified. Here's the transcript. I can be the whistleblower. They're like, hey, there's a new whistleblower about the Trump call with the Ukrainian President Zelensky about the alleged quid pro quo that didn't happen.

And now there's a second, third and maybe another whistleblower. Folks, we don't need whistleblowers. Read the thing yourself. The whistle has been blown. I'm blowing the whistle on the whistleblower. No more whistleblowers. Read the thing yourself.

CARLSON: It's like the Protestant Reformation, something we can all assess for ourselves. I think you're exactly right. Dan Bongino. My head has exploded, just as you promised. Great to see you tonight. Happy weekend.

BONGINO: That's what I'm here for, buddy. You've got it, pal. You, too. Take care.

CARLSON: Well, as we said, the President will start speaking soon in Lake Charles, Louisiana. One thing he may want to talk about is what happened last night on CNN.

They had a Town Hall on gay and transgender issues. We will try to summarize it for you, but honestly you have to see it to believe it.

Nothing better represents the Democratic vision of America's future better really than what they said last night. Beto O'Rourke kind of set the tone. He promised to use the full power of the state to crush orthodox synagogues and churches and mosques whose beliefs he opposes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Do you think religious institutions like colleges, churches, charities, should they lose their tax exempt status if they oppose same sex marriage?

BETO O'ROURKE, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes.

(APPLAUSE)

O'ROURKE: There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us.

And so as President, we're going to make that a priority and we are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: So it got a little intense. It always does, when Beto is there. Chris Cuomo tried to lighten the mood a bit by making a remark about his pronoun preferences. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, D-CALIF., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And my pronouns are she, her and hers.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: She, her and hers.

(APPLAUSE)

CUOMO: Mine, too.

HARRIS: All right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: In his defense, it's so stupid. Kamala Harris says, she, her, and hers. What did you think? I mean, did anyone ask that question? It's just too dumb. And Cuomo, I have to say, probably to his credit, just couldn't control himself. He was just joking.

But no one is allowed to joke anymore. So CNN made him apologize. And of course, he cravenly did, whatever it takes, quote, "When Senator Harris said her pronouns were she, her and hers, I said, mine, too. I should not have. I apologize. I am an ally of the LGBTQ community and I am sorry because I'm committed to helping us achieve equality."

Oh, please, Christopher. Well, what wasn't a joke though was Elizabeth Warren's promise to spend taxpayer money giving convicted criminals free sex changes -- for real.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: ... revolution on this.

WARREN: Yes.

CUOMO: In the 2012 campaign for Senate, you criticized the judge's ruling that granted transition related surgery to a transgender you had met. You said, I don't think it's a good use of taxpayer dollars.

WARREN: Right.

CUOMO: Do you regret that?

WARREN: Yes. I think it was a bad answer. And I believe that everyone is entitled to medical care and medical care that they need, and that includes people who are transgender, who -- it is the time for them to have gender affirming surgery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: And time for you to pay for it whether you want to or not. Joe Biden, meanwhile, as is increasingly his habit got completely bizarre and went off I've done some digression about bathhouses, see if you can figure this one out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Remember, Anderson back 15 to 20 years ago, we talked about this in San Francisco. It was all about, well, you know, gay bathhouses and everything. It's all about around the clock sex. It's all -- come on, man.

Gay couples are more likely to stay together longer than heterosexual couples.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: It's all about around the clock sex, says Joe Biden. Well, the people on the stage weren't the only ones supplying the weird moments. The audience chipped in to help, too. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIZETTE TRUJILLO, MOTHER OF TRANSGENDER SON: I just want to take a moment before I ask my question to validate the pain of our transgender siblings that demonstrated earlier and that have spoken up today -- especially black trans-women.

BLOSSOM C. BROWN: I'm so sorry, I don't want to take this away from you. But, let me tell you something. Black trans women are being killed in this country and CNN, you have erased black trans women for the last time. Let me tell you something. Black trans women are dying. Our lives matter. I am an extraordinary black trans woman, and I deserve to be here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: CNN has erased black trans women for the last time. Pretty intense. We could show you the whole thing, it would take a long time, but you should look it up and assess for yourself. Definitely worth it.

Rob Smith is a Turning Point USA spokesman, and he joins us tonight. So Rob, just to get specific about some -- I mean, come on. And because of course, the liberals are running it, nobody can say no and say, you know, wait in line.

ROB SMITH, SPOKESMAN, TURNING POINT USA: Of course.

CARLSON: We will give you a mic -- you know, it's like, it's out of control. Everything there runs out of control, but the specific policy points here. So Beto O'Rourke says, if you don't agree with his views, he is going to take away your tax exemption.

So that would mean basically every mosque in America, a bunch of churches and every orthodox synagogue is going to lose its tax exemption.

I mean, really?

SMITH: Look, I think, Tucker, the first thing that I have to say is that as a gay man watching that event last night, that LGBTQ alphabet soup Town Hall, I was absolutely mortified.

I just have to say to you and your audience, that that represents a very tiny sliver of the gay and lesbian population of America.

CARLSON: I agree.

SMITH: It does not represent most of us and most of our values.

CARLSON: I totally agree. By the way that's obvious. Normal people know that. Because exactly -- I mean this is a tiny fraction -- what's infuriating is like pretending you know, this will represent everybody -- it's clearly, as you point out not true.

SMITH: And it doesn't. Tucker, it's one third of one percent of that population and the sad thing, and the very scary thing to me is that I have a lot of conservative followers and there's some people that feel so uncomfortable by what they saw, and they think that that's all of us. And I have to say no, that it is not.

When it comes to Beto in revoking the tax exempt status of churches. I am a gay man. I am married. I love my husband, and if we couldn't find a church that wanted to perform our marriage, we would just find another church.

I don't need the state and I don't need the government to enforce that will on people and that's what we saw a lot from last night. We saw a lot of government intervention, if it's weaponizing misgendering. If it's weaponized somebody not using the correct pronouns, that really spineless apology that Chris Cuomo had to make on Twitter, it was all completely insane, Tucker, it really was. And I am really mortified.

CARLSON: Well, it is and I mean, first of all, you should be allowed to tell a joke. You know, this is --

SMITH: Yes.

CARLSON: We don't need to be the solemn, right? I mean, it's just it's -- it's crazy how angry people get in the face of humor, which really tells you a lot, but also it's crazy that Kamala Harris has to in a straight face tell us what her pronouns are. I mean, I'm not attacking anybody. It's like totally sincere. Was that a question that someone asked, you know, Kamala Harris, are you male or female? What is this exactly? It's just -- it's bizarre. No?

SMITH: Look, Tucker. The thing that's going on with the left right now is the weaponization of language and always controlling people's language.

CARLSON: Yes.

SMITH: And if Kamala Harris did not state her pronouns the second she came on stage, somebody would have called her out for it. And look, for me as a gay conservative, I've accepted the fact that I've got to be mean dad, and I've got to tell all the LGBTQ alphabet soup that you can't have your toys and you can't have ice cream for dinner.

There are some things that were going on last night in that Town Hall that were absolutely insane. And let me tell you something else, Tucker. I am a gay veteran. Right? I served two tours in the Middle East. I protested against don't ask don't tell for that gay and lesbian soldiers had the right to serve openly. This is not what I fought for. This is not what I advocated for.

I did not advocate for the alphabet soup agenda. It really troubles me, Tucker. It's very mortifying, and there's so many spineless gays and lesbians on the left that will not speak out about this. They will not speak out about taxpayer funded gender reassignment surgery. They will not stop speak out about transitioning children, they will not speak out about these things, Tucker and it really pains me because it is very important in this moment in history.

CARLSON: Well, people are afraid. I mean, as you know, people are terrified.

SMITH: They are afraid.

CARLSON: The aggression level is so high and the ruthlessness is so obvious that people think, you know, it's not worth it to say anything. I don't -- you know -- and by the way, most Americans aren't angry, you know, and they don't want to attack anybody, but they don't -- they feel like they can't push back at all or else they're going to be fired. I mean, it's --

SMITH: Well, they feel like -- they feel like they can't engage in the conversation.

CARLSON: That's exactly right.

SMITH: They cannot push back. It's really sad, Tucker.

CARLSON: Yes.

SMITH: But I'll be the one to push back.

CARLSON: Well, good for you. Thank you very much for that.

SMITH: Thanks for having me.

CARLSON: Well, CNN's Central Command had a new phrase for everyone on the network to repeat endlessly. It's required. They're telling us, brace yourself now, that the Ukraine story is -- drumroll, please. A constitutional crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Under way right now, America in the middle of a constitutional crisis.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: It's a constitutional crisis in the making.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: You have been hesitant to say that President Trump and his actions meant that we were in a constitutional crisis. Right? But you have now changed your tune.

Are we in a constitutional crisis?

TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: We are in a constitutional crisis.

KEILAR: The U.S. is facing a constitutional crisis as the President goes to war with Democrats over his impeachment.

LAURA COATS, CNN ANALYST: Remember that phrase? Constitutional crisis? Well, it's swirling yet again.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: We're nearing that kind of constitutional crisis at this point.

KIM WEHLE, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY: This is probably a constitutional crisis.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Putting the nation on the brink of a constitutional crisis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are now in the midst of a partisan brawl, it could lead to a constitutional crisis.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's why we're on the cusp of a constitutional crisis because there's not enough pushback.

DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I think they're happy to have this constitutional crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Joe Concha is a radio host and a keen observer of the media. He joins us tonight. So Joe, when Jeff Zucker says on the conference call, use the phrase -- you know this is a constitutional crisis, use the phrase constitutional crisis. It doesn't mean that everybody has to use the exact phrase does it?

JOE CONCHA, RADIO HOST AND MEDIA REPORTER, You wouldn't think so, Tucker, but of all the people you just showed in that montage, ask yourself this. How many of those people are legal scholars or constitutional scholars could even define what a constitutional crisis is?

And more importantly, explain to people at home, how it affects their lives on a daily basis. I'm thinking it's zero. Oh, sorry about that. I have a little mic problem here.

CARLSON: But what's so funny is that, these are the same people who think the First and Second Amendments aren't really in the Constitution, but late term abortion is and they are all telling us about the Constitution, it's in crisis.

But I -- oh, well, there's the President walking in. So, Joe, I wonder is this effective? I mean, what's the point if you're running a cable news of having all your anchors use the exact same phrase?

CONCHA: It's happened once in May, Tucker -- 386 times according to Media Research Center, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC 386 times in the span of three days said this term.

So, look, when you have a media in Washington and New York almost solely in those places. In Manhattan, Donald Trump got 10 percent of the vote. In Washington, D.C., he got four percent of the vote. You're going to have this conformity, this hive mentality of saying the same things over and over again, like the walls are closing in beginning of the end, news is tightening, turning point in the presidency, watershed moment.

We keep hearing the cliches over and over. And most importantly, the term racist between July 14th and 21st, was said 4,100 times on CNN and MSNBC alone. That's 600 times a day and when you say the same thing over and over again, I think it tends to lose its impact, Tucker.

CARLSON: Well, I mean, especially since we have a pretty clear example from 2016 that you're not going to beat Trump by calling him names. It didn't work the first time. Why do they think it's going to work again?

CONCHA: Because I think it's lazy and it's cheap. And it's easy to do, right? Instead of actual research -- and think about this, like you saw that Town Hall last night, right? LGBTQ.

Before that we saw two climate change Town Halls. Can we start doing Town Halls on -- I don't know, health insurance? Which is a big, big issue for Republicans and the Democrats.

CARLSON: Economics, yes, exactly. That's exactly right.

CONCH: Or maybe on the opioid crisis. That takes research and it takes more than name calling in those sort of situations to talk about the things that people in the middle of the country in places that matter -- Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida, where elections are decided where they care about those issues most and the rest of the country for that matter.

Instead, name calling is easy, because that's what gets you the headlines these days, Tucker.

CARLSON: But it's also kind of shallow college student identity politics nonsense. They don't cover economics at all. We're going to -- before you can comment on that, we're going to go to the President of the United States. Joe Concha, thanks for joining us tonight.

CONCHA: Happy weekend.

CARLSON: We're going to turn it over to the Commander-in-Chief from Lake Charles, Louisiana. Here's President Trump.

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