Tucker: A shooting war with Russia seems inevitable

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Tucker: A shooting war with Russia seems inevitable

Fox News host gives his take on the U.S. response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.'

This is a rush transcript from "Tucker Carlson Tonight," March 16, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: Good evening and welcome to TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Members of Congress today in a long and at times moving speech. Among other things, Zelenskyy demanded the United States shoot down Russian aircraft over his country. The White House has not yet agreed to do that, but things do seem to be moving very rapidly in that direction.

Not long after Zelenskyy's address, Joe Biden announced the United States will send a total of at least a billion dollars of weapons to Ukraine, just this week. Members of Congress in both parties then emerged to say they don't think that's enough. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): And the lethal drones, we need more of those in country as well. You know, people talk about a no-fly zone, well, they can create their own if we give them the military equipment and weapons.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): But there's a lot I think we can do to help Ukraine shoot down those Russian aircraft, bring down those missiles.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): A package that includes fighter jets and air defense systems to the Ukraine immediately, so that we can have a Ukrainian no-fly zone.

SEN. BEN CARDIN (D-MD): What we need to do is make sure that Ukraine has the equipment it needs in order to defend itself, particularly the skies.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): I think there is a bipartisan movement right here, provide them the mix, provide them the planes where they can create a no-fly zone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: So things are changing very fast. For weeks, leaders in Washington told us that an American backed no-fly zone in Ukraine would be unwise because it would amount to an act of war against the nuclear armed Russia. As you can see, those views have evolved -- a lot.

But in fairness, Congresswoman Maria Salazar got their first. Salazar is a longtime news anchor from Miami, who a little over a year ago was elected to Congress as a Republican. She now sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

A week ago, a reporter from "The Grayzone" asked Salazar what she thought of a no-fly zone. Here is what she said:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Do you support a no fly zone in Ukraine?

REP. MARIA SALAZAR (R-FL): I support everything that has to do with punishing Vladimir Putin and helping the Ukrainians.

QUESTION: Wouldn't that mean direct conventional warfare with Russia?

SALAZAR: I don't know what it will mean. But you know, freedom is not free.

QUESTION: So you don't know what a no-fly zone will mean, if you have to shoot down Russian planes? I mean --

SALAZAR: Of course.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: I don't know what it will mean, but you know, freedom is not free. Now we made fun of that answer last week when we first showed you that clip. But now what we mocked is the consensus in Washington, we don't know what's going to happen, but we've got to do it immediately. That's the argument you're hearing.

At this point, no wants to say it out loud. But it is true. At this point, a shooting war with Russia seems inevitable. How could war with Russia not be inevitable? Virtually everyone with power is for it. We remain against it. We think that joining a war in Eastern Europe will hurt this country. Though, to be clear, when and if that war starts, we will be praying passionately for America's total victory.

Unlike so many in the foreign policy establishment, we love this country, above all, and we mean it.

But in the meantime, while the United States is still technically at peace, we thought it would be worth asking people who are calling for war, if they have considered in detail what a war would mean for this country.

Congresswoman Maria Salazar was gracious enough to accept our invitation to come on the show. We're grateful she did. She joins us tonight.

Congressman, thanks so much for coming on.

SALAZAR: Of course, thank you for inviting me.

CARLSON: Well, yes. So since you have called for war with Russia, how do you think that war once it begins would play out?

SALAZAR: I think that's a hypothetical question. I think that we should concentrate, Tucker in what Zelenskyy asked Congress today, which is --

CARLSON: I'm sorry -- I can't -- and I am in no way trying to cut you off, but I can't let you laud over that. You said we should shoot down Russian planes. That's of course war. Since you've called for that, and you are a member of Congress --

SALAZAR: Well, I didn't say that. I think --

CARLSON: Well, you said that on the tape we played.

SALAZAR: I didn't say that. That was taken -- yes, but that was taken out of context. Because I said, of course, that I know what that means. I was - - that interview was not very well conducted and that's why I'm here because I want to clarify my position.

CARLSON: Okay.

SALAZAR: And my position is that we should not take the no-fly zone off the table. But before that, that's two, we need to do one and one is to give Zelenskyy exactly what he is asking for. No troops on the ground. Let's give him the MiGs and the S-300, what he needs to defend his own air airspace, so he will create his own no-fly zone.

And that's what I think we should have done months ago. It's embarrassing that this guy, this President, who is under the bullets has come to Congress to beg for us to give him something that we should have done a long time ago. That's my position.

COOPER: Okay. Let me be clear when you say we should give President Zelenskyy what he is asking for he demanded today. I think you were there that the United States enforce the no-fly zone, so you are for denying him that?

SALAZAR: Well, but he also said, and then we can give you alternatives, since we know that that should not be taken off the table, and I repeat it, I do believe that we should go to Plan A, which is to give them all the military weapons that he is asking for because if we do not --

CARLSON: Well, I think a lot of people sympathize with that. Let me just say, I think a lot of people who saw President Zelenskyy's speech today and who have seen the atrocities in Ukraine, feel deep sympathy for the Ukrainian people, and want this to end, I'm certainly among them.

SALAZAR: I'm sure you are.

CARLSON: But I'm wondering what the implication is --

SALAZAR: So, then I am asking you, then what should we do?

CARLSON: Let me finish -- let me ask --

SALAZAR: Okay, all right, what should we do then?

CARLSON: Always and everywhere, especially for the U.S. government or one of its elected representatives act on behalf of the core interests of the United States government, it is really super simple.

So if the United States is providing weapons --

SALAZAR: Let me just tell you now that you said that --

CARLSON: Let me ask you, hold on.

SALAZAR: Okay.

CARLSON: If the United States is providing weapons to one side in a war, how is that not participating in the war?

SALAZAR: Listen, let me just backtrack and say that you said that we're supposed to be representing the American people. I represent District number 27, where you have millions of Cuban-Americans, and I'm representing what we think we know that we acquire peace through strength.

Look at what happened in 1960, Fidel Castro and JFK.

CARLSON: Okay, stop. I am sorry.

SALAZAR: JFK blinked.

CARLSON: I can't -- I am not going to. I'm sorry, I'm not going to -- I'm not going to take the anti-communist lecture from anybody because, of course, I agree with you, and by the way --

SALAZAR: Oh, no, no. I am just saying that history.

CARLSON: And I hope that you're not speaking for, quote, "Cuban- Americans," but for all Americans because it's not a racial question. It's a question of national interest.

SALAZAR: I am of talking about -- I'm representing District number 27.

CARLSON: I understand.

SALAZAR: And we believe --

CARLSON: I'm just saying, right, I've got it -- and I am as against communism, I think as anybody.

But my question is, if we are providing weapons to one side in a war, I think it's fair to ask maybe the other side would say that's an act of war against us. And if that happens, then what next? And to not think about that seems negligent.

But since you're on the Foreign Affairs Committee, I know that you have thought it through. So tell me your views on what would happen next.

SALAZAR: Tucker, we have been providing javelins and stingers, and ammunition, and we're providing a lot of military armament. So what is the difference between that and the MiGs and the S-300s? What's the difference?

I mean, you have to understand that we are unfortunately, the United States, has fallen into the Vladimir Putin's trap. He is the one dictating what we're going to do, what we're not going to do. He said, we do not want -- we are imposing a no fly zone over Ukraine, and we are abiding --

CARLSON: So we are letting Putin control our behavior. Okay, so that seems like --

SALAZAR: Of course.

CARLSON: Sop that seems like a loss right there. Right. Okay. But let me just ask you, because we believe we don't need to have more evidence that Putin has bad intent that he is evil. A lot of people believe he's crazy, including some informed people, including many Russians.

So we know he is volatile and we know that he's heavily -- how many nuclear weapons by the way does Russia have, do you know?

SALAZAR: Many.

CARLSON: Many, about 6,000 is the guess.

SALAZAR: Only one is enough.

CARLSON: One is enough and that's a fair answer.

SALAZAR: One is enough.

CARLSON: So are we --

SALAZAR: Right.

CARLSON: So, are we concerned at all, that he might use a nuclear weapon against the United States? Is that a concern? Is that something that you consider as you recommend these policies?

SALAZAR: Of course, that we are very concerned, and we're also concerned that he may be throwing a biological weapon against the Ukrainians within the next few hours, because he cannot take Kyiv or Kyiv as he thought he was going to.

So of course, that we are confronting a dictator, but I think that we should put this into context. And I thank you very much that you're giving me the opportunity.

CARLSON: Of course.

SALAZAR: If we believe in the free world that this is just going to be the first or the last confrontation with a bad actor, we're in for a very big surprise. Because if we do not confront bad actors with strength, then we're going to have China and Russia and Iran and Fidel, and Venezuela and Nicaragua, they are watching what we are doing.

CARLSON: Hold on, but if -- and needless to say, I've made that argument, you know, for 30 years on television, the question is, are we doing it with all available risks known to the population in whose name we're doing it? So I'm asking you, what do you think the chances are, and I'm sure you've gained this out as remember the Foreign Affairs Committee that Putin uses nuclear weapon against the United States in response to this, what would you calculate the chance of that?

SALAZAR: He can. Sure, that we are taking that into consideration.

CARLSON: But what do you think the like -- I mean, our viewers are I am sure supporting you. I think most conservatives are on your side, but I just think they should know what the informed view of the likelihood of a retaliatory nuclear strike from Vladimir Putin is. What would you assess it as being?

SALAZAR: And I repeat, that's a hypothetical question and I will argue --

CARLSON: Well, it's hardly a hypothetical.

SALAZAR: And I believe that he will not -- he will not take that step if starting today, the Biden administration will send the message that we are in charge, that NATO is ready to confront him and so are we. And that is the problem that I believe I'm not sure if you share in my view, that you obtain peace, you obtain this -- you can -- they take the other power away from Putin, if you show strength to put in a more layman's term.

CARLSON: So, do you believe that's true? So President Zelenskyy said yesterday that he is considering declaring that Ukraine would not join NATO, in exchange for having Russian troops withdraw from his country? Would you describe this as President Zelenskyy speaking, would you describe that as --

SALAZAR: Zelenskyy can -- who am I to say what's correct and what is incorrect?

CARLSON: Would you accept -- would you -- well, I don't know. Okay, so but --

SALAZAR: I am going -- I think we should accept anything that comes from him.

CARLSON: Wait a minute. Hold on, please don't dodge the question. Is that -- would that be an answer you'd be satisfied with if Zelenskyy made good on what he just suggested that we agreed to neutrality, will relinquish claims to Crimea and the Russians leave, would that be okay with you? Would you consider that an honorable exit? Or would you consider it a display of weakness?

SALAZAR: If Zelenskyy comes to the United States Congress, and he says that this is the best path forward, we are no one to say something to the contrary, but I don't think he's going to say that, so we're creating scenarios here that are hypothetical.

CARLSON: No, no, we're not here.

SALAZAR: We should go back to reality.

CARLSON: You may not be following this closely, but he has said that multiple times. So of course, that outcome would --

SALAZAR: And I understand and I have heard it.

CARLSON: That would spare the deaths of --

SALAZAR: And that is up to him.

CARLSON: Okay, but that would spare the deaths, and since I know you have great concern for the civilian population of Ukraine, that would spare the deaths ...

SALAZAR: Of course, we all do.

CARLSON: ... of untold thousands and preserve the capital city from being destroyed. So would that be better than increasing the level of armed conflict in Ukraine? Which would be a better outcome?

SALAZAR: That's for the Ukrainians to decide.

CARLSON: What do you mean? You're an American policymaker who is imposing your views on Ukraine, and I'm asking you simply. Would that be a better --

SALAZAR: I am not imposing any view.

CARLSON: Why not push -- well, of course, you are. You're saying we need to send material, billions of dollars, arm the military, and I'm not criticizing your position.

SALAZAR: Yes.

CARLSON: I'm just asking you, has it occurred that many lives might be saved if we were to encourage the peaceful solution that's already on the table? Are you doing anything in that direction?

SALAZAR: If the Ukrainians want to go that route, they have the right to and we're no one to say anything about it, because they're the ones dying on the streets and they're the ones being bombarded.

CARLSON: They certainly are, they certainly are dying. That's right. I don't notice any Members of Congress or David Frum laying down their lives for the Ukrainian, but have you suggested that?

SALAZAR: Listen, I think that -- I wanted you to. I think that -- Tucker, I think that we have talked about this point enough. I also wanted you to give me the opportunity to explain ...

CARLSON: Oh, we have. I want to ask you one --

SALAZAR: ... to you open borders, because you said that I was in favor of open borders, and I wanted to, I talked to your production and I said that I wanted you to.

CARLSON: You just called last month for the amnesty for tens of millions of people who came into this country illegally.

SALAZAR: Oh, no.

CARLSON: Oh, but you did because I read the legislation today.

SALAZAR: No, I did not.

CARLSON: Actually about 20 minutes ago, I read it.

SALAZAR: And I think that you have -- okay, I'm glad you did and I will invite you to read it again because let me and then just give me 30 seconds and I promise I'll give it to you in sound bites.

CARLSON: Yes.

SALAZAR: The Dignity Act, which I presented last month is an Immigration Reform Law, probably the first one that the G.O.P. has presented in a long time.

CARLSON: Right.

SALAZAR: has one of the strongest border security measures in the history of the United States Congress.

CARLSON: All right, got it. But it also provides amnesty for tens of millions of people.

SALAZAR: With very strong border security -- wait a minute. No. Amnesty what we have now, Tucker. Amnesty is when you have more than 13 million illegals --

CARLSON: All right.

SALAZAR: Listen to me, without paying for schools, for roads or for hospitals. I am giving them dignity so they can start paying and they can - -

CARLSON: Okay, now we are getting pretty deep and into the talking points here.

SALAZAR: No, but I --

CARLSON: What you are doing is people who came here --

SALAZAR: No, we are not getting deep. No, we are not getting deep.

CARLSON: People who came over our border without permission are not being punished, they are instead being rewarded. And so you --

SALAZAR: No, they are not -- let me answer to that.

CARLSON: You are applying a very different standard to Ukraine.

SALAZAR: No, that's not true.

CARLSON: I'm wondering if Russians fleeing Putin, do you believe should be allowed to start new and better lives in Ukraine and I bet you will.

SALAZAR: If you allow me, I want to be rigorous --

CARLSON: Because you believe in Ukrainian nationalism, but not Americans.

SALAZAR: I want to be rigorous. I am talking about those people who have lived here for than five years that have not committed a crime, that have American children and who are contributing to our economy, I want to give them something called dignity and then redemption.

CARLSON: All right, got it.

SALAZAR: I'm not talking about path to citizenship, I'm not talking about amnesty.

CARLSON: Okay, well of course, you are.

SALAZAR: I'm talking about -- no, no, but let me -- no, I'm not. And I don't want you to misrepresent what we did and we worked for one whole year so we can solve just because this bill doesn't --

CARLSON: Then let me ask you -- let me ask you.

SALAZAR: Listen, you don't -- the fact that you don't agree --

CARLSON: And our viewers can read the bill. Let me ask you a simple question. You're presenting MiGs to Ukraine --

SALAZAR: The fact that you don't agree with me, does not mean that you have to misrepresent what's on the bill.

CARLSON: Well, our -- look, I think you've said it yourself that people who came here illegally, tens of millions of them would be allowed to stay, they would not be punished, they would be rewarded. Now you think that's enhancing their dignity?

By the way, I'm not against those people. I just can't help notice the contrast between your desire to send MiGs to Ukraine to preserve its borders, but not here.

Should we send the U.S. military to the Mexican border, since you have admitted that tens of millions of people have come here illegally, that our borders are porous? They're not defended, they're open. Should we send the U.S. military to the Mexican border?

SALAZAR: That is why I have created a whole plan, so we can really seal the border, because you know what? My community, the ones that I represent --

CARLSON: Would you call for sending --

SALAZAR: Let me finish. Let me finish --

CARLSON: Do you represent America, if I could say?

SALAZAR: The ones that that I represent --

CARLSON: Okay.

SALAZAR: Listen, I am -- let me finish, give me 15 seconds.

CARLSON: I shall.

SALAZAR: I have -- thank you. I have created a series of measures so we can secure the border, because we, the Browns, the Hispanics, the Latinos in this country are not in favor of open borders. The problem is that no one asks us.

We want to live in the Promised Land and we want to contribute because you know very well that if we deport those 11 or 13 million, we may not have food by Friday. Why? Because the food supply chain --

CARLSON: Okay, let me -- okay, please, and I am sorry, I think everyone understands this, that we have other supply chain issues. And by the way, I'm not attacking anybody living in this country, legally or illegally. I'm asking question of borders.

All of us are appalled by the violation of Ukraine's borders. You don't seem as appalled by the violation of our borders by tens of millions of people. So let me ask you for the third time.

SALAZAR: Sure, I do. That's a misrepresentation.

CARLSON: You support military equipment -- okay, then, would you support the U.S. military securing the United States border tonight or on the same timetable as sending MiGs to Ukraine? How about that?

SALAZAR: That's hypothetical again.

CARLSON: No, it is a very straightforward question. What are you talking about? You're a lawmaker.

SALAZAR: Let's talk about -- okay, no it's not.

CARLSON: It is not hypothetical. What do you mean? Just say it, you're not for it and you're for the Ukraine and but here.

SALAZAR: You're giving me the first -- the whole segment, which is great, and I thank you very much. Let's get back to my bill.

CARLSON: Correct me if I am wrong. I don't want to misrepresent you.

SALAZAR: I am correcting. All I am saying is --

CARLSON: You don't support sending the U.S. military to the border. You don't, I just want our viewers to understand.

SALAZAR: I am supporting. I am supporting every --

CARLSON: That you are for defending a foreign country but not our own and I think it's pretty clear.

SALAZAR: I am supporting --

CARLSON: And please correct me if I am wrong.

SALAZAR: All that technology we could find so we can secure the border. All the military, the veterans, the police forces that we could hire so we can secure and seal the border, not only for people, but fentanyl, and child sex traffickers.

So I just told you the bill is right there. There's technology. It is not so simple as to say you're going to put this or that. It's a series of technicalities and see yourself -- the technology that we need to use.

CARLSON: I get it, I get it.

SALAZAR: That is for the border. All right, so --

CARLSON: I agree with your intent -- you know, if you're for securing the border, I'm totally on your side.

SALAZAR: Good.

CARLSON: And thank you for mentioning fentanyl.

SALAZAR: Then, what are you going to do -- but let me ask this then from you. What are you going to do?

CARLSON: Let me just ask you a question, can you see why Americans who support the Ukrainians right to secure their own borders, I mean, I certainly do. Most people do, all Americans do.

Can you see the frustration that they might feel listening to you, a lawmaker say: Yes, there's a process. But when that happens in a foreign country, we have to send billions of the U.S. military, your sons, but we can't kind of do that here. Because why? I mean, can you sort of understand the frustration a little bit?

SALAZAR: But I have never said that I want to send troops, our boys to fight in Ukraine because I don't think that Zelenskyy is asking --

CARLSON: You're sending fighter planes.

SALAZAR: And we are sending at the same time, stingers and javelins and ammunition, so we're sending a lot of things that are related to the military.

CARLSON: Why not treat our own border with the same seriousness? That's it. That's it -- but you're not. You're not treating our border crisis with any level of the same seriousness as you're treating Ukraine.

SALAZAR: No, I am -- and you see you are misrepresenting. No, that's not true. You're misrepresenting this bill that is probably one of the best bills that has been presented when he talks about immigration reform law. I invite you to read it and invite me back so we can discuss it.

CARLSON: All right, Congresswoman, I don't agree with you, but I certainly appreciate your coming on. It's hard to get people to do that. And I and I appreciate that you did. Thanks.

SALAZAR: Of course, invite me again. So we can continue talking about immigration, which is one of the biggest problems we have and if the G.O.P. doesn't realize that, we will never win another election again.

CARLSON: Yes you could -- actually I think Hispanic voters are trending Republican because they're for border security, the kind that you are proving.'

SALAZAR: It's not true. Once again, you are misrepresenting.

CARLSON: The irony though, of course, it is true.

SALAZAR: You are misrepresenting my bill.

CARLSON: I appreciate it. We will -- read it yourself. Thanks so much. Good to see you.

Breaking news out of Ukraine, in just a moment, Greg Palkot, will go live for us from there. As we wait, Joe Kent was watching that interview with Congresswoman Salazar.

He is a former member of the Army Special Forces. He is running for Congress in the State of Washington. We needed a reality check on all of that, so we are happy to be joined by him now.

Joe Kent, thanks so much for coming on. I just want to say again, that we're grateful that Congresswoman Salazar was game enough to come on the show. I appreciate that very, very much. But I couldn't help but notice with respect, the difference in the urgency and people are dying in Ukraine in ways that are horrifying, and I concede that.

But we've had a slow motion invasion to the tune of tens of millions of people for like more than a decade, and it is accelerating. So why does no one in Washington seem to care about that?

JOE KENT (R), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE FOR WASHINGTON STATE: Yeah, it's very frustrating, Tucker. I mean, we've seen this unchecked illegal immigration coming across our borders. Most recently, inspired by Joe Biden.

We've had the G.O.P. when we had control of the House and the Senate for the first two years of the Trump administration vote against constructing a border wall. The woman I'm running against Jaime Herrera Beutler, who is a Republican, she voted against that as well. She has voted for amnesty every time it's been on the docket.

But yet, we're supposed to hit the pause button and listen to some foreign leader on the floor of our Congress, tell us what we need to do for him to secure his country, and I sympathize with his country. I really do. I think he's fighting valiantly. I think Vladimir Putin is a horrible person.

But it is an extremely fair thing to ask our elected officials who are asking us to fund this war, potentially send people off to die, because that's what a no-fly zone is. That puts us in a war with Russia in short order.

So she feels so passionately, if any of these representatives feel so passionately about how we have to go and save the Ukrainians and provide enough lethal aid, and continue to push this escalation, they need to go back to their districts and tell the American people, tell their constituents what they're asking them to do and what the ramifications potentially could be.

All we're asking is to be informed as to what our government is doing, and to have it be a two-way dialogue. Why do foreign nations always come first? Why do we secure their borders and not our own?

CARLSON: That's right. And, you know, presumably, you can do both, I mean, in the right order. But wouldn't it be stunning to see Kevin McCarthy stand up at some sort of emergency press conference and say, you know, we just had it, this is really hurting our country. Hundred thousand people died of drug ODs last year, driven by our open borders. We're not putting up with it. We're sending the U.S. military, it's a volunteer -- anybody serving in uniform who wants to do it can.

How thrilling would that be? How hard would that be to say something like that?

KENT: It would be amazing and they should be putting pressure on the Biden administration right now to do that. Biden is the one that opened the borders up and forced crisis. Why Republicans aren't calling the people at the American people's attention to this crisis and showing us that they're working to solve it is beyond me. I don't understand it.

But yet we see them have these massive press conferences, stand by these Ukrainian flags and say that they want to stand with people from another country and that's just not what they're supposed to do.

We could potentially do both things at the same time. I'm very cautious about this war escalation. I don't think we've really explained to the American people what we're asking them to do, and no one is really amplifying the fact that there is a peace offer on the table. But we're leading Zelenskyy on and leading them down the path to further slaughter and not encouraging them to follow this path of diplomacy.

The war drums are beating very heavily, because look, it's a great distraction from the political crisis. It rallies everybody around the military industrial complex and the media complex as well. So I think people just need to be informed as to what is going on here and what the true stakes are.

CARLSON: You hate to think that's true. You hate to think that more Ukrainians are going to die. That's an unwise decisions of our leadership.

Joe Kent, I always appreciate you coming on. Thank you.

FOX News Alert for you. There is shelling underway in Ukraine right now. New reports just in and a rocket strike to the northern part of the country, just west of the capital. FOX's Greg Palkot is live with us from Ukraine to sort out what is happening there tonight. Hey, Greg.

GREG PALKOT, FOX NEWS CHANNEL SENIOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Tucker. Yes, specifically, it is the northwestern part of the country near the border, a town hit there. More and more this western side of the country, which has been relatively quiet is getting hit by Russian forces. We believe that those strikes came from Belarus' territory, which is also quite interesting.

Most of the action is over on the eastern side and particularly in the capital of Kyiv, one missile strike hit just a mile and a half from the residence of President Zelenskyy. Take a look and listen to this.

[VIDEO CLIP PLAYS]

PALKOT: Twelve-story building also destroyed it in that mess as day-to-day life in all the cities get more dangerous. For example, the northern city of Kharkiv, a big trade market was hit by shelling, three people killed, five injured. That shelling sparked a huge fire that took most of the day to put it out.

And once again the Ukrainian military showing it can do some real damage to Russian hardware. This time, we see some video that seems to show three Russian helicopters blown up at an airfield in the southern city of Kherson, that's put that at about thousand the number of vehicles and aircraft that have been destroyed just in three weeks.

And one recap from the talks that they continue between Russia and Ukraine, some positive action, words like serious and realistic, but we've been hearing that for a while and the carnage just gets worse and worse every day -- Tucker.

CARLSON: Greg Palkot for us in Ukraine. Thanks so much for that.

Well, coronavirus lockdowns have ended in most places, our leaders are violating our civil liberties in unprecedented ways. The latest example in our nation's capital tonight, not what you'd expect.

Breaking news out of California involving a Soros backed DA, really an amazing story. A live reporting ahead from Los Angeles.

Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLSON: This is a FOX News Alert. And you saw this one coming. Convicted hate crime hoaxer, Jussie Smollett was just sentenced to jail, and now, he has been released from jail or is about to be. He was just a few days in to his 150-day sentence. But this evening, an Appeals Court ruled that Jussie Smollett can go home while he works to get his conviction overturned, because he's not a Trump voter. He's not one of those January 6 guys rotting in solitary for more than a year.

Who is Jussie Smollett? He's a famous actor.

Smollett's attorney said the appeals process will take longer than 150 days. So it's only fair to let him out as the appeal works its way through the system because again, he is a Hillary man. They also argued Smollett was in danger in the Cook County Jail, even though he was in solitary confinement, he could have beaten himself up again.

Apparently, those arguments took the day, so Jussie Smollett is back home tonight.

So, it's been exactly two years since our political leadership imposed the first mass quarantine in American history on the population, China style lockdowns and over the course of those two years, a lot of our basic civil liberties eroded completely. We barely even remember them. We used to be able to say what we wanted and congregate together and worship freely.

But no, and in fact, they are eroding still further.

Tonight politicians are shutting off access to the nation's capital city because they don't want to be criticized by protesters because protests never happened in Washington. There has never been a march on Washington or anything.

Well, today a reporter from "Rebel News" tried to gain access to Washington, D.C. Here is what police told him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since 95 is closed to the commercial vehicles, you're going to have to go --

Well, it is closed all traffic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For how long?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to have go northbound on 295.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For how long?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My boss is going to eventually tell me to start arresting people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Jeremy Loffredo is shot that, NBC News did not. They should have, it is illegal. But the government is doing it anyway.

Naomi Wolf is not surprised. She's warned for a long time that this moment would come. She is the author of a new book called "The Bodies of Others: The New Authoritarians, COVID-19, and the War against the Human."

Few made fun of Naomi Wolf for sounding paranoid a few years ago. No one does that anymore. She joins us tonight. Naomi Wolf, thanks so much for coming on.

Are you -- just as kind of -- since you're an attorney -- a technical question, are you allowed to just shut down Washington, D.C. because you don't want to be criticized?

NAOMI WOLF, AUTHOR, "THE BODIES OF OTHERS": I wish I was an attorney, but --

CARLSON: Well, I'm deputizing you one now. Do you think that's allowed in a free country?

WOLF: Well, I care a lot about the Constitution and I carefully reread the First Amendment and it is not constitutional.

Congress shall make no law prohibiting freedom of assembly or the right of citizens to petition the government for a redress of grievances. That said, D.C. is a weird anomaly. It's arguable that Congress didn't make a law about what's happening.

But I think a judge would certainly find that it's unconstitutional that people are being deprived of their rights, if the cops are arresting people for assembling, and as you rightly point out, we have a great history going back to the founding of our country.

I mean, the Boston Tea Party was a protest. You know, the March on Washington, Vietnam War marches, you know, the pussy hat marches, I mean, marching -- petitioning government for redress of grievances is what we do as Americans.

So you're right to notice and I wish more people in the media and in government noticed how catastrophically yet another benchmark of losing our rights and scarily being kind of handed over to arrest like the Canadian truckers, to misuse, to abuse, to restrictions, to punishment this represents.

It's a whole new level of stripping us of our rights and freedoms as free people.

CARLSON: I wonder if people -- I mean, I've lived in Washington for 35 years, and it seemed like every day, there was some kind of protest and sometimes you agreed, and sometimes you didn't, but it's not your city, it is America's city. So you can put up with it. But I guess not anymore. Do people notice that this is happening, do you think?

WOLF: I mean, Mr. Carlson, the country is divided exactly in two and I kind of love people in both worlds, and in the kind of left-wing blue states that I used to hang out in, where all the people I love are, except for all my new friends. They notice, but they think it's okay, because it's people like them who are giving the orders and that is chilling.

I mean, history is full of people thinking that restrictive or tyrannical or abusive orders are okay if it's their own kind of people. It is people who look like them, talk like them, worship like them.

In the red states, where I also travel among conservatives and libertarians, who are some of my new friends, people are horrified. And there is a much greater recognition that our country does not mean this, our country means something entirely different and they watch the burning up of the Constitution bit by bit with horror.

Now, should everybody be aware? Yes. You know, should we all be kind of out in the street arresting people who have seized our liberties? These are unlawful acts, right? Having trials peacefully protesting, taking our country back? Yes.

And I'm just going to remind everyone of one more thing, which is the Declaration of Independence doesn't say, sit around, watch television, you know, while people crush your sovereign liberty. It says, it is your job as Americans to rise up, you know, peacefully, ideally against tyrants. And hopefully, we're peacefully doing that.

I have to really commend the truckers, they've been very disciplined and peaceful, but categorically their right is to go wherever they want in the city of D.C. and not be restrained from peaceful speech.

CARLSON: As the left became authoritarian, there are only like six liberals left, and you're one of them, and I just love them all. So I appreciate your coming on tonight.

WOLF: Thank you.

CARLSON: Naomi Wolf, thank you.

WOLF: Thanks for having me.

CARLSON: Well, we have Chris Cuomo news for you tonight. Remember, it was not that long ago that Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo were like brothers, inseparable at CNN. We brought this to you night after night. It delighted us on many levels. Truly, if you don't remember, here's one of their many, many public displays of man love of affection. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: People have been asking me: What are you going to give Chris for Valentine's Day? And so here it is, Chris. I have a card for you.

CHRIS CUOMO, FORMER CNN ANCHOR: Oh.

LEMON: And there you go.

CUOMO: It's beautiful.

LEMON: I knew you would think it was beautiful because you're surrounded.

CUOMO: You didn't want to put your face in here. Why? It wouldn't fit?

LEMON: Because that would be like me loving myself. That's what you're about.

CUOMO: First of all, can we just for the sake of Valentine's Day, can we stop this projection of where I am the one who is so into myself?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: I mean, it is a little weird, but it's kind of nice actually. There is not a lot of authentic human emotion on CNN. You know, they take it out of your soul when you sign your contract. So we kind of like that. That was 2019.

Oh, but that's all over and the breakup is nasty. Today, Chris Cuomo accused former colleagues at CNN, including Don Lemon, and the eunuch of smearing him.

In a court filing, Chris Cuomo's lawyers wrote this, quote: "Don Lemon falsely claimed that Cuomo had been found to break with journalistic standards."

Imagine Don Lemon adjudicating journalistic standards. Amazing.

Chris Cuomo, by the way, is asking for $125 million from CNN. We don't want to get involved. But obviously we're rooting for him.

Vince Coglianese is a radio show host in D.C., one of the top rated. We're happy to have him join us. So Vince, there's something very poignant about seeing the buddies break up, the Rat Pack dissolve after all these years, what do you make of it?

VINCE COGLIANESE, RADIO SHOW HOST: Well, everything about it was a lie. I mean, it's like, it's so crazy. You know, I always think that first of all about television news, and certainly about the left probably just the transactional nature of these relationships. Like here is what really was going on.

I mean, Chris Cuomo was the only guy who had any semblance of ratings of CNN, Don Lemon would have him on his show for a huge portion of the show during what we call the handoff, and the reason for that was because Don Lemon desperately needed ratings' help, so the two of them would act like they love each other and they'd do this giant segment together.

But it's interesting, the second Chris Cuomo is out on his tail, the first person arguing to cut him off from his severance is Don Lemon.

Don Lemon is saying in CNN meetings, don't pay this guy. He doesn't deserve a dime. And so Chris Cuomo, which you know, maybe he had some affection, boy, he's been betrayed now.

And so what he's done is filed this lawsuit. And in it, he has declared something we know to be true as well, these reports that behind the scenes, Don Lemon was advising Jussie Smollett that the police in Chicago didn't believe him. He was secretly tipping off Jussie Smollett information that he had.

So Cuomo is going: Hey, if I'm getting busted for journalistic ethics, what about Don Lemon who pretended to be my friend and stabbed me in the back the second I got tossed out the door?

CARLSON: You've got to admit, it's pretty hilarious for Mr. Malaysian Air to float into a black hole to be lecturing other people on their journalistic ethics.

I mean, it's just too great.

COGLIANESE: It's amazing.

CARLSON: It's amazing.

COGLIANESE: It's incredible.

CARLSON: And so these guys, these guys are like, what is Discovery going to do once they fully have control of CNN? The claim is that they want to turn it into a news network again. They said like there is some thought that maybe we can make it a news network. Not if all of your top talent has just been devastated of its credibility by the guy you just fired. They've got a lot of turnover to undertake to fix.

CARLSON: Maybe they are going after the morning zoo lady next. That's also sad.

Vince Coglianese, great to see it tonight. Thank you so much.

COGLIANESE: Nice to see you, Tucker.

CARLSON: So LA County residents are on the verge of recalling their District Attorney George Gascon because he is affirmatively for criminals. He is abetting crime. It's upside down world.

Can they get this man, this Soros-backed disaster out of offices? An exclusive report on that is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLSON: Two years ago with help from George Soros, a self-described revolutionary called George Gascon became the District Attorney in Los Angeles. Since that time, Los Angeles has fallen apart. Gascon has refused to enforce the law and backed criminals.

To sum it up in a single sentence, for the first time in a hundred years, train robbery is now an epidemic in LA, in the middle of the day. So it appears that finally the long suffering citizens of the Great City of Los Angeles have had enough.

FOX's Bill Melugin has the story for us tonight.

Hey Bill.

BILL MELUGIN, FOX NEWS CHANNEL NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Tucker.

Well the campaigns of Recall DA George Gascon says it is well on track now to get the recall qualified on the ballot. They announced today they have already collected 125,000.00 petitions and have raised $3.5 million.

Now, this campaign started collecting signatures back in early February, and they say return petitions are now increasing exponentially every single week. They say the momentum is on their side and that Gascon is quote, "running scared."

We all remember Gascon issued a series of criminal friendly directives literally the moment he took office. He refuses to prosecute gun or gang enhancements. He dismantled the office's Gang Unit. He doesn't believe in cash bail, the death penalty, or life without parole.

He has refused to prosecute juveniles as adults, no matter how heinous their crimes are. Gascon recently admitted he got it wrong when he refused to prosecute 26-year-old transgender child molester, James Tubbs as an adult. That's a decision that allowed Tubbs to avoid any prison time or even having to register as a sex offender, which he boasted about in an in- custody phone call with his dad. Take a listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

JAMES TUBBS, TRANSGENDER CHILD MOLESTER: Don't worry about it. It's a strike, but they're going to plead -- I'm going to plead out to them, plead guilty. They're going to be on probation, and it's going to be dropped. It's going to be gone done. Done. I won't have to register (inaudible) nothing.

FATHER: For offender, you won't have to register?

TUBBS: I won't have to do none of that.

FATHER: So what are they going to do you then?

TUBBS: Nothing.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MELUGIN: And Tucker as for the recall, they need about 567,000 signatures by July 6th in order to get that on the ballot. The campaign says they're on track to hit it. We'll see.

We'll send it back to you.

CARLSON: Bill Melugin, amazing story. Thank you.

MELUGIN: Thanks.

CARLSON: So we decided to look a little deeper into George Gascon. One man backed by George shores really did wreck a city, the second biggest in the United States, a beautiful, very American city, Los Angeles.

So we're about to premiere Season Two of "Tucker Carlson Originals," our documentary series. And in our first episode, we sent a team to LA on the story. What they found is really unbelievable.

We'll show it to you very soon.

There's some political leaders in this country who still believe in the rule of law and they want to bring it back. James Craig is one of them. He was a longtime police chief in a bunch of cities, finally in Detroit, where he is from.

Detroit was one of the very few cities in the Upper Midwest that did not have riots after George Floyd died. Now, Craig is running for Governor of Michigan. We spoke to him for a brand new episode of "Tucker Carlson Today." He told us about his very first time walking the foot beat as a police officer. Here's part of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CRAIG, FORMER POLICE CHIEF OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN: I like to tell this first story so my first night in -- I walked the foot beat for a couple of weeks. That's what they do to the rookies, walking the foot beat with another classmate. He was 18, by that time I was 20.

And so I got my first opportunity to ride in a scout car -- police car. So I'm excited. So I show up. And by the way, the precinct that I was assigned out of the Academy was the same precinct my dad volunteered at during the civil unrest. The 10th Precinct.

CARLSON: That's crazy.

CRAIG: So that was special. It was crazy.

CARLSON: Ten years later.

CRAIG: Ten years later, we are going to same precinct. And so walk up to the police car, meet my partner. He was probably a 25-plus-year veteran, White police officer. He looked at me. He said, "I don't want you here." He said, "In fact, you do one thing, sit over there. You're not going to drive the car, don't touch the radio. Just sit there and be Black."

CARLSON: Don't touch the radio.

CRAIG: He said, "Welcome to the -- don't touch the radio." Every new officer drivers his police car. He didn't want me to drive a car.

CARLSON: I want to drive the police car.

CRAIG: So, I called my dad end of shift. I said, "I don't know if I can do this." He said, "Oh, no. You don't have a choice. You must do this. You can be part of change. And the only way you do that is stay with it." And I thought about it. I mean, hard.

He made a good point. I went back to work. Things got increasingly better. But it dawned on me even as now a 20-year-old new officer in the Detroit Police Department. I said, as a police officer, I can affect only so much change. You know, maybe I work in a neighborhood and do good in a neighborhood.

I said, but the only way to affect and make wholesale change, I have to be a Police Chief.

But my point was instead of seeking solutions. Hey, you, police officers on the ground, what do we need to do? Help us understand. How are you received?

It wasn't that kind of welcome. It wasn't a welcome at all.

And so that really made me start to reflect even then: Why am I Democrat? I mean, I grew up conservative and I know having worked in communities throughout my now 44 years of service. Here is what I knew: People who live in vulnerable communities, particularly communities of color, they like the police. They want the police.

CARLSON: Yes.

CRAIG: But it's shameful today that these progressives, these socialists, the elected, I don't want to call them servants of people, they are political servants. They don't care about people in these communities.

And here is the beauty of my candidacy, and I get asked this question all the time as I travel Michigan. "Well, Chief you know, Republicans don't do well in Southeast Michigan, particularly Detroit." I say, "That's true." I say, "But we have an opportunity. I served in that city as their Chief for eight years. I'm branded in Detroit. The principles I've stood on transparency, honesty, making decisions, keeping Detroit safe. Was it easy? No. But I built a great team and we got it done."

We built relationships with communities. Those folks are not going to forget. There's not a day that goes by if I'm in an eatery in Detroit and somebody will walk up to me and say, you know, I'm a Democrat, but I'm voting for you. I'm voting for you because I trust you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: James Craig, former Police Chief of Detroit, now running for Governor of Michigan. That interview is on FOX Nation. It's worth watching.

Jussie Smollett is about to walk out of jail any moment now, unlike the January 6th defendants. What happened to equal justice?

We've got more, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLSON: So you're seeing pictures on the screen of the debacle that was our withdrawal from Afghanistan that humiliated the country and made the Taliban one of the best armed militaries in the region.

Oh, but it gets worse. Because tens of thousands of Afghan refugees came here directly after and some of them are good people, some of them weren't. We don't know because a lot of them weren't vetted.

In February, a report by the DoD's Inspector General found that some of these refugees had quote "latent fingerprints on improvised explosive devices." In other words, they were literally terrorists trying to kill Americans. At least 50 were identified as suspected terrorists.

So what happens to all these Afghan refugees now?

Well, the Biden administration has just announced that they get to stay in this country for at least another 18 months, which of course as you know, means forever.

According to D.H.S., the announcement will quote "Help protect Afghan nationals from returning to unsafe conditions," as if we don't have unsafe conditions in this country.

Again, some of these are great people who helped the United States, some of them aren't. It doesn't matter. They're all allowed to stay because they're not American.

That's it for us tonight. Don't forget a brand new episode of "Tucker Carlson Today" with Chief Craig. We will see you tomorrow.

Have a great night.

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