This is a rush transcript from "Tucker Carlson Tonight," July 13, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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

It was a happy day in America, a beautiful July day, and then this afternoon something grave happened. Joe Biden made a very disturbing announcement.

"This country faces a crisis more dangerous than anything since the American Civil War," Biden said at his Gettysburg, Shiloh, Antietam, the Walking Dead of Andersonville, the Killing Fields of the 19th Century American South. That's what we're looking at right now announced the President of the United States -- by attempting to pass laws requiring voters to show ID when they vote, republicans are risking permanent internal division as well as violent conflict.

Think we're overstating? Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's an unfolding assault taking place in America today, an attempt to suppress and subvert the right to vote in fair and free elections. We're facing the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War. That's not hyperbole -- since the Civil War.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: The Civil War? Sound overheated to you? Joe Biden would like you to know, this is not hyperbole. Voter ID laws are literally like the Civil War. That is habeas corpus suspended, state legislature shutdown, hundreds of thousands of Americans dead in field. That was the Civil War.

Biden made it clear that's what he meant, he said it twice.

When was the last time a sitting American President gave a speech like this? Well, probably not since the 1860s during the actual Civil War. So it is hard to know how to process it. Even allowing for the dementia, it was a stunningly irresponsible thing for an American leader to say out loud, dangerous even.

So on what grounds did Joe Biden say it what drove him to it? Well, here's the Fort Sumter Biden was referring to.

Yesterday, 51 Democrats in the state legislature in Texas, left Texas and flew to Washington, D.C. on private jets. They did this in order to deny the Texas legislature a quorum, and then they shut it down. They shut down the democratic process in their state.

By leaving Texas, they, in other words violated their sworn duty to represent their voters and they committed what amounted to an act of, yes, insurrection. Why? So that Texas lawmakers couldn't pass laws against voter fraud; laws, by the way that voters in Texas have said overwhelmingly they want passed. That's democracy, but they're not getting it.

The measures that Texas voters would like to see become law include a bill that would require some form of identification: a driver's license, a Social Security card, something valid and real for voters who submit mail- in ballots. Another bill would require the Texas Secretary of State to review voter rolls for noncitizens and remove people who are not allowed to vote.

So, nothing in the bill is radical or without extensive precedent. If you oppose voter fraud, in fact, it's all very obvious, and not controversial at all, and that's why it's so popular with voters in Texas.

But Democrats in the state don't oppose voter fraud, nor critically do they believe in multiparty politics. So, they stop the entire process cold.

Now, preventing lawmakers from making laws, shutting down the vote would not seem like a defense of democracy. In fact, it would appear to be just the opposite. It would appear to be an assault on the very core of democracy, which is the legislature -- the People's House. Even diabolical Vladimir Putin never attempted to do that.

But according to Joe Biden, this time, it's necessary. Sometimes you've got to end democracy in order to save democracy -- that is if you're not a racist. Requiring people to prove their identity when they cast votes said the president is, quote, "An unrelenting 21st century Jim Crow assault." Really? How so?

Biden never explained, but he didn't need to. His bootlickers on cable television jumped in to do the talking for him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOY REID, MSNBC HOST: Texas Democrats taking a major stand for voting rights. It is a dramatic, yet effective move that the National Democratic Party would do well to try and pay attention to.

BRIAN WILLIAMS, MSNBC ANCHOR: Leaving their legislative chamber without a quorum was the last best thing they thought they could do to preserve voting rights there and try to defeat the Republican voter suppression bill.

NICOLLE WALLACE, MSNBC HOST: The Texas Democrats fighting back in the face of Republicans very successful voter suppression drive.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Texas Democrats fleeing their state in a last ditch effort to block a restrictive new voting law, as the G.O.P. is pushing its assault on our most sacred right as Americans, the right to vote.

CARLSON: Who cares about the last guy? What about the first guy? The Republican Voter Suppression Act? How exactly do these bills suppress voting, precisely? Well, Brian Williams never told us. He just repeated the talking point he was handed. What a brainless shill he has become, so many have.

But pay no attention to the dead-eyed news anchor telling you the usual lies. No, consider instead the heroes of modern Texas, the people saving the vote by stopping the vote. Preserving democracy by ending it.

Here's a picture of them on a charter bus to the private airfield. The FBO, as they say in private equity. Now, they may be smiling in the picture, but it's only to mask the pain inside.

They may be drinking Miller Lite, but it's not in celebration. No, it's in solidarity with the Campesinos and Campesinas around the State of Texas, on whose behalf they were drinking those beers. The people who may not be actual citizens of the United States, who may not speak our language or follow our laws, but who still somehow have the God-given right to choose your government for you, the right in other words to vote Democrat whenever they want.

So, it was an intense moment on that bus. Picture Che Guevara sailing to Havana Harbor on the Granma to bring the revolution to its bloody climax. And it only got more intense when the charter buses arrived at the FBO.

One Texas lawmaker, a childlike former teacher called James Talarico tweeted about the dangers from his private jet, quote, "Just landed in Memphis on our way to D.C. Thank you all for your well wishes. We left behind our families, our livelihoods, and our beloved Texas, but our sacrifice -- (carrying with a straight face) -- but our sacrifice is nothing compared to the sacrifices brave Americans have made throughout history to protect the sacred right to vote."

So, sacrifices include drinking Miller Lite on a private plane over Memphis. It was moving.

Now, we don't have a lot of photos from within that private plane, just like we have a lot of paintings from Washington's crossing of the Delaware. Sometimes you have to imagine it.

But we do have this documentary evidence, this shot, and as you can see, those people are terrified. They are not taking this trip on a private plane for themselves, they are doing it for democracy, which paradoxically they've just suspended. Revolutions are full of bitter little ironies like that, but we learn to live with them in the name of the greater good.

Now, you may be wondering, how did all those lawmakers get on that plane? Can you just walk on a plane now? Doesn't that require some form of photo ID? A racist ID card? And by the way, where are their masks? Aren't you required by Federal law to wear a mask on an airplane?

Sure, you are, in normal times. But when there's a revolution in progress, normal rules are suspended. Che Guevara never wore a surgical mask. His rifle was his ID card, and so with these slightly chunky revolutionary heroes.

Now, once the brigade from Texas finally arrived in the Capital City of Washington, they were met with artillery fire Hessian sharpshooters. No. Something more daunting. There were television cameras awaiting their arrival. How did they handle this? With the power of song?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GROUP OF TEXAS DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS (singing): We shall overcome, we shall overcome. We shall overcome someday; oh, deep in my heart, I do believe. We shall overcome someday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: What happens when a cliche becomes so time worn that it folds in on itself like a cliche black hole and sucks all of reality into itself? That's what you just saw.

Now, but to the untrained eye, the footage we just played might seem a little bit self-aggrandizing. It might seem like those lawmakers may be the only ones on Earth who appreciate their own bravery and the sound of their own voices. But that's not true. There are still other people in this country who recognize how truly heroic these political leaders are.

One Texas lawmaker, Gene Wu insisted that his fans couldn't wait to see him when he got to Washington, quote, "Landed safely in D.C. It was wonderful to randomly run into people who recognize me and applauded what we are doing."

Now, none of the people who are vigorously applauding Gene Wu appear visible in that tweet. But you can rest assured Mr. and Mrs. America, they're out there. They are just out of camera shot.

Now, presumably Gene Wu's many fans, his legions of fans are also applauding as he sat eating lunch in the airport dining area, who documented exactly what he ate in a follow up tweet just for the historical record, quote, "My first meal as a fugitive. Delicious."

At some point in the modern era, it becomes a little hard to distinguish between hero and clinical narcissist. Star of TikTok videos state legislator, but whatever, those distinctions don't mean anything. Gene Wu is a hero for eating those croutons, how big a hero? Well, Gene Wu himself wouldn't say. He is a man of modesty, obviously.

But another representative from the State of Texas, a fella called Trey Martinez Fischer spelled it out for us. According to Trey Martinez Fischer -- can that name be real? We're going with it -- Gene Wu eating salad in an airport is very much like the Civil Rights leaders of old, crossing the bridge in Alabama, taking truncheon blows to the head. You watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TREY MARTINEZ FISCHER (D), TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE: This is the risk that we take to stand up for democracy. I mean, we are talking about voting rights here. There were people who were beaten with clubs and attacked by dogs and people were murdered to protect the sacred rights for this -- this threat and this finger pointing by the Governor is not going to intimidate all of us.

We are strong and united, and we want to bring, you know voting rights reform to this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Edmund Pettus Bridge, Chipotle -- same idea, different era.

As you'd expect, Kamala Harris wants in on the action. She has been protesting for Civil Rights since a child growing up in Canada -- sorry, America. Since two years old, she has been demanding freedom as she said. So, she has just announced she's going to meet with these freedom fighters sometime this week.

The Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, meanwhile, won't be there. He has promised to arrest them and bring them back to the State House if they ever return to Texas. So, are they coming back to Texas? No, they're not, not until the session is over.

So effectively, these freedom fighters, these modern Che Guevara's, these crossers of the Edmund Pettus Bridge/Chipotle have shut down Texas's democratically elected government. That's how you know they are defending democracy, out in the private planes

Britt Hume covers democracy for living, has for many years. He is FOX News is senior political analyst. We're happy to have him on tonight. Brit, thanks so much for coming on.

Now look, you're a master of the big picture. You know, you can kind of sum things up only most of us can. When you shut down democracy, how are you saving it?

BRIT HUME, FOX NEWS CHANNEL SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, Tucker, first thing I have to note is that there's some video you missed it. I wish you'd play --

CARLSON: Oh no.

HUME: That is the group of those -- the group of those legislators sitting around a campfire in their hotel lobby last night singing "Khumbaya."

CARLSON: Oh, good. I don't think we can handle it.

HUME: It's a classic. Obviously, Tucker, the absurdity of this is obvious on its face. You can on the one hand, shut down the action of the elected representatives of the people in the State of Texas and then turn around and argue to the nation that you're defending democracy. It's absurd on its face, laughable really, and made the more so by the scene on the airplane with them all smiling, maskless and with the "V" signs going and of course, the scene of the bus with the case of beer tucked away for their enjoyment on the way up here, up to Washington.

It's just -- this is too good to be true. It's just precious.

CARLSON: Well, I have to say it was so nice to take a break. Unfortunately, the overtones of the looming Civil War hummed in the background. But I have to ask, as a political matter, now, all of this really turns on the question of voter ID. Should people be required to prove they are who they say they are when they choose our government? It seems like in this case, Republicans have the public on their side. I mean, all the polling I have seen shows people want that.

HUME: Not only want it, they won it by massive majorities of maybe up to 80 percent. I mean, it's commonsense, obviously that you shouldn't make it easy for people to cheat by representing themselves as someone they're not. And of course, when you're mailing out ballots to people to send in for whatever reason, instead of showing up to vote on Election Day, the possibility of fraud is there, and so asking people to prove who they are, which you would have to do really, if you showed up to vote would seem an evident obvious step.

It's wildly popular, it makes perfect commonsense. And I think that politically speaking, to oppose it is nuts, it's bound to fail.

Moreover, Tucker, you know, these Democrats may be able to hang around in Washington and be celebrities among the Democrats in Washington, well, nearly everybody who lives there -- for the --until the end of this session, but all Abbott has to do is call another one and yet another one. They can't stay out forever. So, eventually this measure will pass, indeed it passed the Texas Senate -- the bill they are complaining about passed the Texas Senate. They just don't have a quorum in the House.

It will, and my guess is, it will eventually pass, be accepted and life will go on.

CARLSON: Yes. Although I assume this is about raising money. You know, the President shouldn't talk about Civil War. They always said Trump was an extremist. This show has been -- that we are extremists -- responsible people don't use the phrase Civil War unless there's actually a Civil War, and why would the President of the United States say something like that?

HUME: Well, particularly when that was such a painful, a decisive but painful episode in our nation's history, amounting to tremendous loss of life. It was a terrible dark time, a war that I think in the end had to fought.

But to compare a dispute over what ballot security measures should be in place in the State of Texas to the Civil War seems to me to be self-evident nonsense, and it is hard for me to imagine that people out there hearing this wouldn't say, "What is he talking about?"

I mean, it's just -- I mean, look, Donald Trump was a famous exaggerator. He exaggerated everything. Everything he did was the best. Nobody has ever seen anything like it, and so on. Biden is giving him a run for his money these days.

CARLSON: If Trump would get out there and start talking about with Civil War, you know, and I was supportive of most of what Trump did, I would say to him, don't talk like that. You know, you're the President. Civil War? Really? Why don't you be quiet?

It's awful that he said that. I think. Anyway, Brit Hume, great to see you tonight. Thank you.

HUME: Yes, thanks, Tucker.

CARLSON: Defunding the police was never a good idea. It turned out to be a worse idea even than we knew it was. It's also extremely unpopular. But the people who support it aren't trying to convince you, they are trying to intimidate you into accepting it, and they did it on camera recently, we'll show you what that looked like.

Also, devastating news out of South Africa, sadly. We have a report live from Johannesburg, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLSON: The nation of South Africa appears to be in significant trouble tonight. Anarchy across the country in the cities and outside the cities. From all what's happening right now, we go to Qaanitah Hunter. She is a political editor at News 24 in South Africa. She joins us from Johannesburg. Qaanitah, thanks so much for joining us tonight.

So, we're experiencing this mostly on social media. People are seeing videos of what's happening in your country. Describe what's going on right now, if you would.

QAANITAH HUNTER, POLITICAL EDITOR, NEWS 24 - SOUTH AFRICA: Well, it has been three days of unrelenting looting and violence in areas around Johannesburg, as well as Durban and surrounding areas, which you see started as protest against the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma. This was on Wednesday day last week.

By Thursday, there were sporadic incidences of violence, but over the weekend, this intensified to what President Cyril Ramaphosa has now called a coordinated criminality. Dozens of malls, shopping centers, and now, even warehouses and factories have been completely looted by thousands of people across the country in these -- around these two major economic hubs.

What you see is the police completely overburdened, unable to stop these violent and looting scenes that unfolded in the country, with the President having to call in the South African National Defense Force on Monday to reinforce efforts by police.

There's been 200 people that have been arrested, but 72 people have lost their lives so far.

QUEST: So, from this perspective we're seeing -- we're playing video of it on the screen right now of entire shopping malls being emptied, office buildings being looted. As you said, factories burned. It looks like a big part of the economy of the country is being destroyed.

HUNTER: Absolutely. And it is devastating to an economy that was already bruised by COVID-19. Unemployment is, you know, in the region of almost 40 percent, and the economy was struggling to get off its feet. And now this is an added blow, particularly to businesses along the Coast.

I mean, the situation is so bad in Durban that there are concerns around food and medicine security as a result of the looting. When you talk about medicine, there has been concerns around attacks on storage facilities that hold COVID-19 vaccines. This, the President, you know said would really hamper government's efforts to fight the pandemic.

You know, to give you an example, just this evening, the government announced that 633 people died from the COVID-19 pandemic. And you know, we are in the grips of a third wave, yet what you see is thousands and thousands of people going out in the streets looting anything from TVs to fridges.

QUEST: What a tragedy, and a complex story. We will be on it. Qaanitah Hunter, I appreciate your coming on tonight. Thank you so much.

So, you just saw pictures of what can happen when no one is enforcing the law and when the mob rules. That has been the case on a much smaller scale in parts of this country for more than a year now. Defunding the police is the term they apply to, it has been a disaster.

It's also deeply unpopular with voters, of all kinds. Eighty-two percent of Americans oppose defunding the police, but there are still some activists who are committed to it, regardless of what the public wants in the name of democracy, of course.

The police are racist, and we must eliminate them.

What's interesting is what that looks like up close. So in Oakland, California on Saturday, some of those same anti-racist activists shouted down a group of black demonstrators who were out in public showing support for police officers. What a picture this was. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: White privilege is standing here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think you have a right to be here? You don't have a right to be here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not when our black children are dying in the street every day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, at the hands of the police.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a lie. That's a lie. There are not hundreds of people dead because of the police this year in this country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you have against safety in Oakland? What do you have against stopping the violence?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are trying to save our people. We are trying to save our people. Standing here, thank you. We try to save our people to save our people. You are not our people. Get the [bleep] out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Hey, black people, how dare you support the police? It's beyond belief, really, but it's real. Burgess Owens is a Republican Member of Congress from the State of Utah, and we're happy to have him with us tonight.

Congressman, thanks so much for coming on.

REP. BURGESS OWENS (R-UT): Thank you, Tucker.

CARLSON: That video kind of tells you a lot about the current state of our political conversation. What's your reaction to it?

OWENS: I think it's important that we recognize, Tucker, that this is not by accident. You know, the cultural Marxist, what they thrive on is chaos - - personal chaos, people being made miserable, people living in fear

If you live in fear, you can't run a business. You can't build your business, build your family. Spirituality goes out the window -- and that's how they win.

So, what we've seen this last year, what you're seeing right now in Oakland, all of these places that black and Hispanic and at-risk people are being hurt most is by cultural Marxists who care less because they are godless. They care less about capitalism and property, and they hate the nuclear family.

So, that's what we're up against. We need to recognize that and really stand up strong for our Judeo-Christian values. The values that made our country what it is.

CARLSON: Right. You know, you're right. They are godless. That is exactly right. I never talk like that. But it's true. It's absolutely true.

When you say that, how do people respond?

OWENS: Well, there are those who get it. Most Americans get it. They might not speak as strong as I do, but they get it.

CARLSON: Yes.

OWENS: And then those who try to destroy our country, they hate what I'm saying. So, we just have to have the courage. I'll start this very simply, Tucker, growing up, love God, country, and family. Respect women and authority, and we got it made.

Underneath that, the common denominator is courage. We need to have courage. So, Americans know what we're up against this. We need to fight against this evil ideology that is trying to destroy us and divide us. And we can do that no matter what side -- what part of the line we're part of, let's makes our country great for our kids. We need to fight against evil to get that done.

CARLSON: God, family country, respect for women and authority, and you're good to go. I'd say that's right. Congressman Burgess Owens, great to see you tonight. Thank you.

OWENS: Thank you, Tucker. All the best.

CARLSON: Well, we hate to add to the growing list of problems besetting our great nation, but supersized goldfish are suddenly a big problem in our water supply -- supersize goldfish. Weird, but true. We've got details naturally, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLSON: How biblical are the plagues we're facing these days? Well, we'll put it this way, monster goldfish are now a threat to one town in the Midwest. The City of Burnsville, Minnesota, just south of Minneapolis says people are dumping pet goldfish into lakes and ponds. They don't expect this will be a problem, but it is.

According to officials the fish quote, "Grow bigger than you think and contribute to poor water quality by mucking up the bottom sediments and uprooting plants." Can this be true? We decided to find out.

Ron Magill is an expert on goldfish behavior. He works at the Zoo Miami. He is the Goodwill Ambassador there and we are happy to have him on tonight. Ron, thanks so much for coming on. Give us a sense of the goldfish threat, not just in the southern suburbs of Minneapolis, but around this country.

RON MAGILL, EXPERT ON GOLDFISH BEHAVIOR: Well, you know, goldfish are a common pet. They're very hard to fish, which is why you see them at things like carnivals, and fairs, and things like that. People sometimes outgrow them or they release them and they let them go and they think well what's going to happen?

Understand that goldfish are basically glorified carp, goldfish and Koi. What I saw in the picture though, what that guy caught was probably a big Koi, which is very similar to goldfish, but they're all types of carp. And if you look throughout this country, carp have caused millions and millions of damage in habitat destruction and water degradation.

Go on YouTube, you'll see videos of them jumping into boats. People can't even get out into the water because of them, how much they can destroy an environment.

So, when you take that in consideration that goldfish are basically a fancy kind of carp, there is potential there for some real damage.

CARLSON: So, what you're saying is, if you have goldfish and you want to dispose them, it's safer to send them to a fraternity house to be consumed rather than putting them into the local water supply. For example.

MAGILL: Let's say it is better than putting them in the local water supply.

CARLSON: Yes, anything is better even the fraternity house. That makes total sense. How big -- and I don't want to scare our viewers, but I want to bring them the news. How big can a goldfish get?

MAGILL: You know, the standard goldfish, the kind of thing you see in the fair, usually only about 10 or 12 inches, but the Koi, which is what we're seeing more of, can get to be like three feet. And like you said, when you opened the piece, they are huge ground feeders, muckle feeders. They'll tear up -- they'll eat all the vegetation, they'll take the oxygen out of the water, they'll make it unlivable for many other species of fish which they phase out and it totally destroys the environment.

So, they have the potential of being really -- listen, it's never a good idea to put a nonnative animal into a native place.

CARLSON: Right.

MAGILL: Fish, bird, or reptile -- anything.

CARLSON: Do we face this threat from gerbils and hamsters, too? Or is it pretty much just an aquatic threat?

MAGILL: You know, rodents, if they get out, I can tell you there are many cities throughout this country that have gerbils and hamsters breeding in the wild. Fortunately, we have a lot of hawks and cats and birds of prey that kind of put that in balance.

CARLSON: I wouldn't want to see a three foot long gerbil, at all.

Ron, I appreciate -- if you do spot one, you're welcome back anytime to warn us of that impending disaster. Thanks for coming on tonight.

CARLSON: Thank you, Tucker. Take care.

CARLSON: So, the Biden administration has spent months now touting a company called Proterra and tell us Proterra is a key part of the new green infrastructure plan that's going to save the country. They funnel money to cities to buy electric buses made by Proterra.

What's interesting is Proterra doesn't seem to have a very good record of producing electric buses. According to "The Washington Free Beacon," one city in Wisconsin paid $1.5 million for two Proterra buses back in 2018, but never got the buses. So, why is he administration promoting this one specific company?

We don't know for sure. But one possibility is that Jennifer Granholm, that's the Secretary of Energy recently owned more than a million dollars of stock in that company. She only sold it after reporting with Matthew Foldi, who is with "The Washington Free Beacon" and joins us now.

Matthew Foldi, thanks so much for coming on.

How could the Secretary of Energy own stock in a green energy company?

MATTHEW FOLDI, "THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON": Tucker, thank you so much for having me on. It's green energy grift, plain and simple. She owned millions of dollars of stock in Proterra, even though Biden put her in charge of running the nation's electric vehicle battery supplies back in February.

They promoted it repeatedly. Biden visited it. Kamala visited it. The State Department hosted the CEO, and no one cared. You know, you're one of the few journalists who actually cares about this scandal that has all the hallmarks of corruption that normally people would care about.

So, if you're promoting a brand new technology, and in a lot of cases, unproven technology, and that goes for all parts of the new energy grid, they are telling us we need to build, you're going to be promoting companies that are not established companies.

So wouldn't rule one be nobody promoting those companies can have any shares in those companies, and that seems really obvious.

FOLDI: You would think so, and remember the outcry when Ivanka Trump held up a can of Goya beans, it was never ending, but Granholm has made millions of dollars from the government promoting a company that she was on the Board of for four years. She quit the Board after her confirmation.

But she continues to not even tell us who she sold the stock to. I asked the Energy Department again today, who was the undisclosed buyer who paid Granholm a net profit of $1.6 million for 240,000 nonpublic shares of Proterra? We have absolutely no idea who bought her stock.

And yes, you're right. It's pretty insane, and yet no one really seems to care because I think everyone thinks green energy is a good thing. And clearly, there can be no corruption from the Biden administration, but both of those things aren't true.

CARLSON: May ask a really quick question? Jennifer Granholm, as far as I know, has no skills. I don't think she's ever done anything. No, I'm not being mean. A lot of people have never done anything, but she's especially never done anything.

Why would she be on the Board of an energy company?

FOLDI: Well, she was the Governor of Michigan and --

CARLSON: Right, but not for too long.

FOLDI: Yes. That's a fair point. She was a CNN contributor. She was a Media Matters contributor, and she was on the Board of Proterra. I think you're making the point here that Proterra, this tiny company is one of the best connected companies I've seen.

Its investors include the mega-donor Pritzker family. Obviously, it used to include Jennifer Granholm as an investor. This tiny company is slowly sort of making its way through the Biden admin. Its advisers and Board members have spoken with the Department of Defense, the State Department, Gina McCarthy, obviously Biden himself.

I mean, it's insane. And as we were saying earlier, no one really seems to care except you, me and a couple of others.

CARLSON: Thank you for doing this reporting. I mean, you did the reporting. I just read it and was amazed by it. I hope you'll come back. Keep it up. Matthew Foldi, thank you.

FOLDI: Thank you so much. Have a good night.

CARLSON: You, too.

Well, the Biden administration is now applauding the destruction of property it considers offensive. Another way of putting it, American history. That would include a statue of Sacagawea, who by way was not a Confederate General, it's just the beginning.

Why are we destroying our own country's history? Why are we letting these vandals do that? And why did the vandals include the White House? We'll tell you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLSON: Jon Voight is one of the most famous actors in Hollywood. He's been famous for more than 50 years since he started the movie "Midnight Cowboy." He's also one of the very few conservatives in Hollywood.

So, we had him on to our FOX Nation show, "Tucker Carlson Today," for a conversation, which we thought was going to be about politics, and how did you come to the views that you have, and it started that way. And then, immediately, it got very deep and very heavy and very interesting and wonderful, actually. It was a great conversation. Here's part of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON VOIGHT, ACTOR: Many people are upset with me in the Hollywood group, right? And family, too. But no one really confronts me because they don't have the answers. They fear my knowledge, in a certain sense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: So, that's just a very small tease of the conversation which comes out tomorrow 4:00 p.m. on foxnation.com. It is very much worth watching, for sure. Moving conversation actually.

Well, on Saturday, the White House cheered the removal of monuments to Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in Charlottesville, Virginia. Can't have them anymore. Shortly after those statues were removed, workers hastily took down two more statues. One of those monuments was at the University of Virginia's campus. It depicted revolutionary war hero, George Rogers Clark.

Why? We don't know, it's our history. It's not allowed anymore. Because we're starting afresh, new, Year Zero.

The other statue in front of the courthouse depicted Lewis and Clark and their guide, Sacagawea.

The White House was all for all of this. It makes you wonder, what else are they going to destroy? And why are we allowing it? Why would we allow lunatics and vandals to destroy our history? Make us hate our ancestors, Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea. Come on now?

David Marcus is a political reporter at "The New York Post" and he joins us tonight.

David Marcus, thanks so much for coming on. So, I don't understand why everyone kind of sits back and allows lunatics and vandals to destroy our history.

DAVID MARCUS, POLITICAL REPORTER, "THE NEW YORK POST": I mean, this was amazing. I mean, the City Council had sent these people out to bring down the statues of the Confederate Generals, and then it was -- you know, it was like if you hire movers and then you slip them a hundred bucks to install the air conditioner, and they took down these two other statues.

The best explanation that I've heard about taking down the Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea statue is that it was a woman giving men directions. This is madness. And, you know, what was reported about the actual decision making behind the Lewis and Clark statue was that they spent 20 minutes.

Tucker, I think a lot of people watching at home spend more than 20 minutes deciding what to have for dinner tonight.

CARLSON: Yes.

MARCUS: I mean, certainly if their children are as picky eaters as my son is. This is madness and it is not transparent. And it's not at all clear that this is what the American people want.

CARLSON: So, whatever -- you know when a timber companies started taking down big sequoias and redwoods in California, you know, environmental actress, Julia Butterfly Hill, you know, they kind of lived in the trees and wouldn't let it happen. And they were -- why doesn't someone just say I'm sorry, you're not moving the Teddy Roosevelt statue or Sacagawea or the Generals, by the way. No one is for the Confederacy, but it is American history and you're not allowed to destroy it. Like no. Why doesn't anyone do that?

MARCUS: I tried, Tucker. Last year, I was part of a group of people who tried to organize a protest to say, hey, you know, we want this Teddy Roosevelt statue in front of the Museum of Natural History to stay and I'm sad to report that I think we lost that fight. But, you know, now that everyone's broken down by their demographics, you know, I'm Irish. I'm used to losing fights.

But, you know, as the great Irish poet, William Butler Yeats said, Irish poets, learn your trade, sing whatever is well made. And I hope people will remember this statue, I brought my son to it. I hope while it lasts, other people will bring their sons and daughters to it because it's beautiful, and it's a goddamn shame that it's coming down.

CARLSON: If there's one hero in all American history, we ought to revere, it's Teddy Roosevelt, One of the greatest men this country ever produced. And if you can take him down, then we're -- you know, we're in trouble.

I appreciate your coming on and your sentiments in your analysis. David Marcus, thank you.

MARCUS: Thanks, Tucker.

CARLSON: So, there's no reason for children to wear surgical masks at school. All the research confirms it doesn't help them. It hurts them -- a lot in some cases. They can't get oxygen. But many schools are still going to require that kids wear masks all throughout the school day.

A few parents are fighting back. Thank God. One of them joins us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLSON: A new study in "JAMA Pediatrics," which is not "The Daily Beast," actual science showed conclusively that children who were forced to wear facemask, surgical masks had dangerously high levels of CO2 in their bloodstream within just three minutes of putting on the masks. Now, that's bad, it's dangerous. The government numbers indicate if they were workers in a workplace, it would be illegal.

But today nonetheless, Tony Fauci who is out of control, insisted that children must wear facemasks at all times.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Unvaccinated children of a certain age greater than two years old should be wearing masks, no doubt about that. That's the way to protect them from getting infected because if they do, they can then spread the infection to someone else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Now, this is just pure craziness at this point. There's not actually a lot of debate in the science about the guidance you just heard. It's nuts, and it hurts kids. But nevertheless, New York's Mayor Bill de Blasio has just announced that children in New York City can expect to be forced to wear masks in the fall.

In California, many schools are expected to require masks as well. Some parents seeing the harm this is doing to their children, the physical harm, not to mention the emotional harm to their own kids are finally fighting back.

One of them is called Melissa O'Connor. She spoke at a Board meeting in San Diego. We're happy to have her on the show tonight.

Melissa O'Connor, thanks so much for coming on tonight. What did you say -- and bless you for saying it -- at the Board meeting?

MELISSA O'CONNOR, CONCERNED PARENT: Well, I tried to keep my talking points brief, because I've had over a year to think about how frustrated I am, and now that the Board -- yes -- the Board is finally meeting in person and there's been a great group of parents who, you know, we're just fed up with the government telling us what to do.

And Tucker, if there's one thing I could leave anybody who is listening with this one word, it is choice, and informed consent. And that is lacking in America right now. So, my children are put under my husband and my jurisdiction. They're not under Fauci's jurisdiction, or Governor Newsom or even my School Board. They are under my jurisdiction. And it's up to every parent to weigh the risks and benefits of anything going on in their kid's life, including wearing a facial covering, you know, vaccinations, anything -- going to swim in the ocean with however many floaties they need.

Like, I don't outsource that information or that responsibility to the government. That has been given to me as a responsibility. And so to answer your question, this morning, I just highlighted that enough is enough. And I don't consent to this and no one asked me, Melissa, are you okay with this? No one asked me a year ago if I was okay with my kids school being shut down and then open and then shut down again, and then open and then shut down again, or not knowing what's going on with the mask mandates and business closures.

I spoke on that. That's been heartbreaking to see that in our county, and it's arbitrary. It's not based on anything that is logical, and no one is talking about that. If you say this on social media, you get censored. If I post this on Instagram tonight, it's going to be tagged with, "Look up the COVID-19 vaccination information." And enough is enough,

American parents are fed up, and my message to anyone listening right now is to speak on behalf of your kids. You know, I have friends and family who feel all over the map with this. And that's okay. I don't want to have a divisive message. The message is, I don't want to outsource the health of my children to our government.

CARLSON: There's something about the way that you express that that was so sincere, so clear, and so simple, and so non-divisive. It's hard to believe that anyone could disagree with you and we only have maybe 10 seconds left. But did anybody disagree? I mean, I bet you changed minds when you talked like that.

O'CONNOR: Well, I was holding my baby and I had my two kids. It was hard being there with them. So, all I wanted to do was get out of there and that's exactly what I did. So, I don't know. I'm sure people disagreed with me and I'm okay with that.

CARLSON: Man, you're a very effective spokesperson for a very reasonable point of view. And I deeply appreciate your coming out tonight. Melissa O'Connor, thank you.

O'CONNOR: Thank you.

CARLSON: We're out of time. We'll be back though, 8:00 p.m. every week night. The show that is the sworn and totally sincere enemy of lying, pomposity, smugness, and groupthink.

We hope you have a great and cheerful night with the ones that you love. We highly recommend staying tuned because tonight, Sean Hannity takes over at 9:00 p.m., seven seconds early. Here he is.

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