This is a rush transcript from "Tucker Carlson Tonight," January 24, 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.

When permanent Washington pushes for war with Russia, who benefits? We don't ask that question enough. The United States certainly doesn't benefit, that's obvious to anyone who thinks about it for a second. It's so glaringly obvious, in fact that the people pushing this war immediately denounced you as a traitor, if you point that out. They are betraying our country's interest, but somehow you're the one who's disloyal.

Ukraine's borders are sacred. Our borders are racist. Shut up, Putin stooge.

But wait a second, why is it disloyal to side with Russia, but loyal to side with Ukraine? They're both foreign countries that don't care anything about the United States. Kind of strange.

It's all an absurd performance, but it's all they've got in the end. The fact is, Ukraine is strategically irrelevant to the United States. No rational person could defend a war with Russia over Ukraine. Nobody thinks a war like that would make America safer or stronger and more prosperous.

Have you taken a look at our economy, recently? Dangerous levels of inflation, a workforce in disarray, wildly chaotic swings in financial markets, in case you haven't noticed. Will joining a conflict in Eastern Europe fix any of that? Come on? Of course not. It'll make it worse.

If the neocons aren't restrained, and soon, Americans are going to be a lot poorer. So why are they doing this? That's a complex question. Hubris, stupidity, the damaged psychological makeup of our leaders, massive lobbying campaigns by Ukrainian politicians and American defense contractors -- all of those factors play a role in this. No tragedy has a single cause.

But what's not at all complicated is who benefits from our conflict with Russia. China benefits. Period. The Chinese government is the only certain winner here. We can give you many examples to illustrate this, but consider the latest economic sanctions the White House has proposed against Russia.

The Biden administration may use something called the Foreign Direct Product Rule to cut off Russia's supply of semiconductors made with American technology. This would, in the hopeful assessment of "The Washington Post," quote, "Potentially deprive Russian citizens of some smartphones, tablets, and video game consoles." So depriving Russian citizens is good we are told because Russian citizens are bad. Okay.

But what are the long term effects on us? Russians are still going to have smartphones. They always get their components somewhere else, meaning from China. The Chinese have already pledged to help and they have every incentive to make good on that promise.

In other words, the Biden administration will have succeeded in continuing to drive our two main global rivals closer to a permanent alliance with one another. How does that help America? Well, it doesn't.

Over time, it's dangerous and not just militarily. The only reason the U.S. government can enforce international sanctions is because the U.S. dollar is the world's reserve currency. Russia and China don't like this, obviously.

So let's say they've convinced other global powers that the U.S. government was abusing its monopoly on monetary control. If they do it to us, they might do it to you, they would say, and then other countries decided to drop the U.S. dollar in favor of a new currency. Where would that leave us?

Well, suddenly, the United States would no longer be able to run an economy based on debt. We will be impoverished immediately overnight.

Has no one in Washington thought of this? Apparently not. Imposing tough new sanctions every few months feeds their moral vanity. It makes them feel like good people. What fools they are.

Both parties, by the way, participated in this. Preening about sanctions on television is a lot easier than improving the lives of people in your own country. So, that's what they do.

Here is Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa telling you that protecting Ukraine's sacred borders is much more important than, say, saving Americans in Des Moines from overdosing on drugs. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA): So we do need to go ahead and impose sanctions on Russia now. We need to show them that we mean business and we will be there for Ukraine should they invade.

Certainly, we need to make sure that any defensive aid is in the hands of the Ukrainians, as well as, as much lethal aid as we can provide at this time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Those are our leaders, totally ignorant, just reading the script. It would be nice to hear someone in the Press Corps -- because it is their job -- ask the obvious follow up, which would be why exactly Senator Ernst, do you believe it is so vital to send more lethal aid to Ukraine and to quote, "go ahead and impose more sanctions on Russia," why? How would she answer that question?

We'll never know how she would answer because no one in the media would ever ask her. Reporters are the most bovine of the herd animals. If the other kids say it's a good idea they assume that it is. Journalists feel that way about everything, but especially about armed conflict.

The longest war in American history just ended this fall when we left Afghanistan. The new consensus in Washington is we need another war, now. That view is especially prevalent in TV news.

Watch this teleprompter jockey try to push our Russia hating Secretary of State into hating Russia even more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We are proceeding on both paths at the same time, we'll be ready either way. The choice is Vladimir Putin's.

MARGARET BRENNAN, CBS NEWS HOST: But what are you negotiating? If Russia is demands are nonstarters, I mean, President Biden has already said Ukraine is not going to join NATO anytime soon. You've made this offer of reciprocal military exercises, what's left to talk about?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: "What's left to talk about?" Too much diplomacy, Mr. Secretary, not enough killing. That's our position. Apparently.

Max Boot of "The Washington Post" fervently agrees with this. At this point, every project in Max Boot's life has collapsed into disaster from his personal affairs to the war in Iraq, which he promoted endlessly. Having come to middle age, Max Boot is unequivocally a failure. But he is looking for one last war to redeem it all. He is thinking conflict with nuclear armed Russia could be that war. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAX BOOT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: We should be arming the Ukrainians like crazy. We should be preparing for a guerrilla warfare if the Russians go in, and I think the most important thing we can do right now is to lay out a menu of sanctions so that Putin knows exactly what's going to happen to him if he goes over the line, because right now, with these vague threats, he can be left with the feeling well, maybe the U.S. and the Europeans, maybe we're not really going to do anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Again, you have to ask yourself, why is it more quote, "patriotic" to take one country's side than the other country's side? We have no obligation to defend any country, either one of these countries. Neither one is American, neither one has the same interest as we do. Why is it wrong to support one and not the other?

What's wrong is to support either one of them. Their interests are not the same as ours. They're very different. Max Boot doesn't care. Arm the Ukrainians. Prepare for guerrilla warfare.

Only a man completely insulated from the consequences of his bloodlust could talk like that. There will always be another think tank job for Max Boot and people like Max Boot.

But what's POLITICO's excuse? The factually liberal political blog has been pushing for war in Ukraine for months now. Why? What's in it for them? Well, let's see.

A few days ago, POLITICO published this terrifying headline, quote, "Psaki: Russia could at any point launch an attack in Ukraine." The piece goes on to promise that, quote, "Experts and policymakers are now preparing for a range of escalatory measures." Well, that sounds scary. We better send billions more in military hardware to Ukraine right away.

Beneath the headline, you learn why POLITICO is interested because the story is quote, "Presented by Lockheed Martin." Aha. In other words, defense contractors think it is high time to spend much more on defense contracting in Ukraine. POLITICO is happy to make their case in exchange for money.

Over at "The Washington Post," you may have seen this op-ed with this headline, quote: "Biden must show that the United States stands ready to support Ukraine militarily if necessary." Now, that piece was written by a man called Michael Vickers. Who is Michael Vickers? Well, among other things, Michael Vickers sits on the Board of the weapons contractor, BAE Systems. And that would seem relevant, because war with Russia would be potentially in any case, highly profitable for BAE Systems.

But somehow "The Washington Post" didn't bother to tell readers about this. It remained undisclosed. So how does this look from across the world? Well, the Chinese must be watching this happen with their jaws open completely delighted. They can't believe their good fortune. They watch as the entire political leadership class of the United States runs at full speed in the wrong direction, away from Asia, which is so clearly the future and toward the murky past on the fringes of Eastern Europe -- Ukraine, Russia.

And the Chinese must be wondering, how could these people be so stupid and so self-destructive?

Elbridge Colby has been warning about this for a very long time. He's a former Trump administration DoD official, and we're happy to have him join us tonight. Elbridge, thanks so much for coming on.

It does seem clear if you take three steps back and tune out the noise about our sacred alliance with Ukraine, not clear where that comes from. But step away and look at the world. It's pretty obvious the people running things are looking in the wrong direction.

ELBRIDGE COLBY, FORMER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Absolutely, Tucker, and great to be with you. I mean, China is by far the biggest challenge to American interests in the way that you're talking about it at home, which is really going to affect our economy, our lives, our prosperity, and our freedoms.

And look, the future of the world is going to be settled in Asia. It is going to be over 50 percent of global GDP. Europe is moving down to 10 percent and so, I think you're right. I mean, the Ukraine situation may concern us to some degree, but it's far, far from the most significant thing and the fundamental reality is we have to make choices.

You talked about the currency, but it's just as true in the military context.

CARLSON: Yes, I'm just a little bit mesmerized by this question that it is patriotic to support Ukraine. I mean, just speaking for myself, I have no allegiance to either one. I don't have a deep interest actually in either one. No connection whatsoever. Don't speak the language, never been there.

But why is it axiomatic that supporting Ukraine is your duty as an American citizen? Where does that come from? Do you know?

COLBY: Well, it's not axiomatic. I mean, I think it's been, you know, a problem or a product of the last generation of hubris, the neoconservative dominance, and essentially getting disconnected from regular Americans' interest.

Look, I think it is really important for us to be strong in the world, and to, you know, defend our interests. But we've got to be clear about those and really connect, you know, very directly to Americans' interests. And again, that's really about Asia. It is where the future of the world is going to be determined and Eastern Europe, particularly, you know, Ukraine is not -- it's not critical to that, and it's actually distracting us.

So I think it's a product of the hubris and people kind of drinking the Kool-Aid and acting as if there are no constraints, and they are kind of paying the price with other people's lives and money, frankly.

CARLSON: Just for context for our viewers who may not be familiar with the fantastic book you just wrote. You are not an isolationist. You think the United States has an important role to play in the world. You're not saying withdraw from everything.

I don't mean to speak for you, I just want to be clear. You are saying, no, we're just not looking in the right place.

COLBY: Yes, I mean, actually, my instincts, honestly, are non- interventionists. There is probably one narrow war I've supported in my adult lifetime, which is the original mission against the Taliban and al- Qaeda in Afghanistan. That is where my instincts are.

But I think the reality, you know, looking at the world clear-eyed and really connecting it to Americans' interests has to lead you to say we can't leave the world economy to China's tender mercies. And it's not just Xi Jinping, it's the size of the Chinese economy, the size of the military they are building, and the very clear sense that we are getting and you've reported on abundantly, which is what it's going to mean for our prosperity and our liberties.

We're all going to be working for China if we allow that to happen, and I think the effect of what the Biden administration is doing by even talking about 10,000 to maybe even 50,000 soldiers additionally towards Eastern Europe, I mean, that's a one-to-one trade off. That is a catastrophic potential mistake if it's true, but it seems like that's the vibe and these -- you know, a lot of the people in the elite of the administration, the senior ranks in the administration, they really believe it.

And I mean, I don't even question their integrity necessarily, but I do question their judgment.

CARLSON: Nicely put. Elbridge Colby, great to see you tonight. Thank you.

COLBY: Thanks, Tucker.

CARLSON: Well, because media creations never die, they live forever, the creepy porn lawyer was back in Court today. He is accused of cheating his old friend and client, Stormy Daniels out of a ton of money. FOX's Trace Gallagher, of course has that story for us -- Trace.

TRACE GALLAGHER, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Tucker.

Federal prosecutors reminded the court today that CPL is accused of stealing $300,000.00 from the woman who made him famous. Remember, the only reason CPL was invited on CNN and MSNBC every night to bash then President Trump is because he represented porn star, Stormy Daniels who wrote a book about her dealings with Donald Trump.

The problem is that while CPL was getting famous, even talking about his own potential presidential run, his law firm was broke and he could no longer afford to pay for his high end cars, luxury vacations in Southern California beach houses, so he allegedly began stealing money from his clients, including Stormy Daniels.

Prosecutors say he forged the porn star's signature on a document that redirected her book advance into his bank account. Defense attorneys say the case is nothing more than a contract dispute and it is notable that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was also in court today.

Cohen, you'll recall, pled guilty to violating campaign finance laws by paying Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about an alleged affair with Trump back in 2006. On his way into court today, CPL said this about Cohen. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL AVENATTI, FORMER ATTORNEY: I heard about this book that he's got or some podcast Mea Culpa. He should have called it Mea Culprit.

Guy is an absolute dirt bag, dumber than a box of rocks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: CPL was already convicted of defrauding Nike, he has yet to begin serving his two and a half year sentence for that. But he is now suing the Federal Bureau of Prisons saying that while he was in custody awaiting trial, he was mistreated, including only being allowed one book, Trump's "The Art of the Deal." -- Tucker.

CARLSON: He's got chutzpah. You've got to give it to him. Convicted felon. CPL. Trace Gallagher, great to see you tonight. Thank you.

A quick programming note, the Season 1 finale of our documentary series, "Tucker Carlson Originals" is out this week. It's called "Hungary versus Soros: The Fight for Civilization." Absolutely, Soros was highly distressed that we made this, called us names, made threats. But George Soros is a huge and significant player in world affairs. He doesn't want you to talk about him. We have the right to and we did.

You can watch the exclusive preview right now. You can get 30 days free of FOX Nation by going to tuckercarlson.com.

Well, a group of censored physicians and scientists convened in Washington today to have an honest conversation about the coronavirus and how to treat it. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin hosted that panel. He joins us next with what he learned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLSON: Well today, Joe Biden mistaking himself for an emperor informed reporters, we don't want to hear any shouted questions on Ukraine, so FOX's Peter Doocy trying to be polite, tried to ask him a question about inflation instead and here's what happened next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS CHANNEL WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Do you think inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms?

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's a great asset. More inflation. What a stupid son of a [bleep].

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: What a nasty old man. Our Peter Doocy went on TV shortly after that, took it in stride. He's no Jim Acosta, he said, quote, nobody has fact checked Joe Biden yet and said it's not true. Biden, for his part doesn't even remember saying it.

Thousands of Americans gathered in the nation's capital over the weekend protest against vaccine mandates. Here's what it looked like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For 20 plus months we serve in the community, and now, we are asking you to join ranks with the red line and fight these mandates with us.

DR. PETER MCCULLOUGH, PROTEST AGAINST VACCINE MANDATES ATTENDEE: You have the freedom to determine what happens to your body. That is your sole possession. In many ways, it's the only thing you really have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Or used to have. That was Dr. Peter McCullough. He was one of several physicians who spoke today at a Senate panel called "COVID-19: A Second Opinion," something we've needed for an awfully long time. Dr. Robert Malone, one of the people who worked on mRNA technology very early also spoke. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ROBERT MALONE, MRNA EXPERT: These vaccines are designed for the original Wuhan strain, but are mismatched for omicron. They do not prevent infection, viral replication, or spread to others. In other words, the vaccines are leaky. They have poor durability. And even if every man, woman, and child in the United States were vaccinated with these products, they cannot achieve herd immunity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Right. So that's not an opinion. The numbers are very clear about that. Why is no one saying that? Why is anyone who does say it censored? What the hell is going on here?

Senator Ron Johnson serves Wisconsin. He is one of the very few people in the entire U.S. Congress who is willing to ask that question. He organized these COVID panel. He joins us tonight.

Senator, thank you for coming on and for doing what you did today. What stuck out? What did you learn today?

SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): Well, you know, I actually sought out a second opinion, very early in the pandemic. So I've been connected to this global network of eminently qualified doctors and medical researchers and scientists that have just had a different opinion on coronavirus, on the disease, on the vaccines, on our response. And I'm hoping what the American public learn, those that watched it is that these eminently qualified individuals have a different approach, a different opinion that is not as divisive, isn't as insane as our approach has been, and quite honestly isn't as deadly.

Anybody that looks at our response, you know, driven -- mismanaged by Anthony Fauci, has got a look at the fact 889,000 Americans are dead. We rank 22nd in terms of deaths per million, over 2,600. Sweden, is I think, in the 70s at 1,500.

So the fact of the matter is, we should have been exploring and researching early treatment, and I certainly learned from doctors who've been treating, having the courage and compassion to treat COVID that it's an entirely treatable disease, probably hundreds thousands of people lost their lives that didn't have to.

But I also hope that the people start looking at, if you're going to get a second opinion, go to a doctor who actually has the courage and compassion to treat COVID as opposed to those that sit in their ivory towers or in their bureaucratic offices, never see a patient but just make all these pronouncements say they are science as they ignore science.

CARLSON: May I ask you this -- it may need a longer answer than the minute we have, but have you reached a conclusion on why from the very beginning they have discouraged treatment of the disease and basically told people wait until you're almost dead to show up at the hospitals? Is there an explanation for that?

JOHNSON: I have my suspicions. I mean, if you take a look at the money approach, one of the things revealed is the only drugs that the health agencies have recommended are -- they start at about 500 bucks a pop, going up to about 3,500. All novel drugs produced by the pharma companies, whereas the ones that they've trashed that have decade's worth of very good safety profiles, they have completely ignored, but these things are often pennies a dose. You go figure that.

CARLSON: It's unbelievable. Senator Ron Johnson, a brave voice on this question. Thank you

JOHNSON: Thanks for having me on.

CARLSON: Well, here's one of the sadder stories. I wish we did more of these, Scott Duncan is a fighter pilot. He's Lieutenant Colonel the United States Marine Corps. He has filed a religious exemption to the military's vaccine mandate, and it has not been approved. Right now, it's on appeal.

So far, the U.S. military has issued just two religious exemptions total. If Mr. Duncan's appeal does not succeed, he will be discharged from the military. The military will lose hundreds of experienced pilots due to this mandate.

Lieutenant Colonel Scott Duncan joins us tonight.

Lieutenant Colonel, thanks so much for coming on. And I think of the experienced pilots that the U.S. military, the Marine Corps, this country stands to lose, you've got to be, you know, in the top quartile for experience. I think you've flown over 300 combat missions over 200 carrier landings. You know, you've got to kind of wonder who at the military is prioritizing a vaccine over that kind of experience defending the country. What's your conclusion?

LT. COL. SCOTT DUNCAN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Well, thank you, sir. Yes, thank you, sir, for the opportunity to join you tonight, specifically to be able to convey our personal experiences and just understand that as an active duty service member, these views are not held by the United States Marine Corps or the Department of Defense.

But, we do believe that yes, we have a reasonable argument. We've asked our leadership immediately, as well as our congressional leadership to inquire as to really the cost benefit analysis of losing several hundred very qualified aviators. The average timing grade for those aviators is 14 years. And also to just consider the second and third order effects and consequences of what they had to offer.

I'm not unique in my situation. There are many incredibly qualified individuals with a tremendous amount of experience and we believe that that can be a detriment to national defense in the event we separate that many aviators.

CARLSON: Yes, I mean, you could make a lot more flying corporate or for the airlines than you're making now, you and all the rest of these guys. So you've got to think you're doing this for a reason, a noble reason.

Let me ask you about the grounds of the exemption that you're requesting. It's a religious exemption.

DUNCAN: Yes, sir.

CARLSON: How would you characterize your -- the problems that you have with the vaccine?

DUNCAN: Well, the problems we had personally with the vaccine, and we understand there is a reasonable disagreement. We do disagree with the pedigree and the technology maturation over time. That's one issue. The other is just a conviction by the Holy Spirit and I believe we are led in that fashion and we do not have any peace about the vaccine itself.

And we also believe that we have an inherent right to our own body. We believe that that is a right that is conferred on us from a Maker and Creator, and that that is the foundation of the Constitution which we defend. So those were all the basis primarily of the religious accommodation that has been both requested, denied, and then subsequently appealed.

CARLSON: I mean -- I just -- I cannot resist asking you, flown over 300 combat missions. I assume you thought when you were flying those and risking your life and landing on carriers at night, the most dangerous thing any human being can do that you were defending the U.S. Constitution, in other words, you're right to have your own religious views. Didn't you think that?

DUNCAN: Yes, sir. No, and we absolutely -- I mean, we believe everything we've done up-to-date in honorable service, as well as what we're doing now is consistent with those views. That view is just not shared by some leadership within the Department of Defense and so we believe this is a very reasonable and above reproach way to express our concerns.

CARLSON: Yes, that's just there -- you're so restrained and gentlemanly, and I appreciate that. But underneath it all, it is one of the sadder stories ever. So we're certainly rooting for you. Thank you very much for coming on tonight.

DUNCAN: Thank you for having me, sir.

CARLSON: Of course. People are dying across the country from violent crime. That crime is a result of policy decisions that Democratic leaders made.

CNN is -- because it serves the Democratic Party -- downplaying and dismissing those deaths. It's an amazing thing to watch and we have the tape and the stats.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLSON: One of the great mysteries of our age as the transgender ideology erases the very notion of a woman, women and girls are not a category in longer -- is where are the self-described defenders of women and girls? The feminist movement. They've been silent because they've been taking money to shut up.

Kara Dansky will not be quiet. She is a lifelong feminist liberal who used to work at the ACLU who stubbornly continues to believe in the truth in human biology. She has been relentlessly attacked for that. She is a very brave person and very articulate.

We sat down with her for a long interview on "Tucker Carlson Today." Absolutely worth watching. Here's part of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: You said that this is an assault on language. That's one of the first things you said. What is -- what do you mean by that?

KARA DANSKY, FEMINIST: So let's take for example, pregnant people. We're seeing a lot of people including members of the United States Congress using language like pregnant people.

Now, every human being knows that only women can get pregnant. But for some reason, we're seeing a shift in language where people are required, socially coerced to say things like pregnant people.

Now, I'm concerned because I think it's very easy for conservatives to brush that off as lunatic leftism. And to be clear, it is insane to refer to pregnant people. It's absolutely ridiculous. And we can and should mock it mercilessly, but it would be a mistake to just dismiss it as lunacy on the left.

CARLSON: Yes. Yes, only the left understands the importance of language. I've always thought this. Sorry, I'm interrupting you. Please go on, I agree.

DANSKY: That's okay. So, it would be a mistake to dismiss it as leftist lunacy because it is a very deliberate move to persuade and manipulate Americans to dissociate our minds with the material reality of our physical bodies.

If we can persuade Americans that people get pregnant, then we have separated pregnancy from femaleness.

CARLSON: And there are a lot of radical elements in American politics. I don't want to single anyone out, but the transgender activists have got to be near the top of the radical list, just for their willingness to get right in people's faces, call their employers. There have been threats of physical violence.

DANSKY: Well, think about that in the terms of arguments that we're dealing with a marginalized community. Really? A marginalized community can get people fired? Persuade an entire industry, the journalistic -- you know, journalism to cave on journalistic integrity by being completely disingenuous.

"Washington Post," and "New York Times," MSNBC, they are completely disingenuous when they report on this. "Washington Post" democracy dies in darkness. Really? They are completely disingenuous, and they're reporting on this because an industry persuaded them to do it. Marginalized community? You've got the entire -- you've got the -- you've got the President issuing an executive order the first day upon taking office to redefine sex, to include gender identity throughout Federal administrative law. Marginalized? I don't think so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Probably fair to say Kara Dansky doesn't have any friends who watch FOX News. She may not have any friends at all, after they see this interview, but she did it anyway because she thinks this subject is that important. It's not just some crazy thing the left is doing. It's the wholesale transformation of our civilization, and we think she's right.

You can watch that whole conversation with Kara Dansky on FOX Nation. You can get it for free at tuckercarlson.com.

So violent crime in major cities is completely out of control. Thousands are dying -- Americans dying. This weekend in Chicago, for example, an eight-year-old girl was murdered. Here's a local news report telling what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight-year-old Melissa Ortega dead after being struck by stray gunfire according to police. Witnesses say her mom was seen covered in blood outside this Fifth Third Bank along West 26th Street.

Detectives say the offenders were dropped off to the area and confronted a 26-year-old man as he was walking out of a store. The man was shot in the lower back. Bullets also struck this Honda Odyssey shattering the rear windshield glass. According to detectives, another eight-year-old girl was inside at the time, fortunately, unharmed.

At least five kids under the age of 18 have been shot and killed here in Chicago so far this year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: But it's not just Chicago, it's nationwide. Ten of this country's biggest cities have set all-time homicide records last year, all-time including the dangerous 70s. It is worse now than it's ever been ever in American history.

But at CNN, that's not a problem at all. It was caused by their patrons of the Democratic Party. So of course, they're angry at FOX News for bringing it up. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there is a crime problem, but the way it's described on FOX, you'd be afraid to leave your house.

OLIVER DARCY, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: I kind of think of it as an Instagram filter, Brian. You know, you start with a real image and then you take the filter and you pump it up a thousand percent, and what you're left with is distorted, it no longer reflects reality.

CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The goal of this kind of coverage is to freak people out to cause them to live in fear. Ironically, a lot of the fear mongering is about the things that are not actually mortal threats, and then there is ignoring the things that are mortal threats. You know, COVID isn't real and climate change isn't real. I would argue that to me anyway, those things are a little bit scary or have been scarier at various points in the past couple of years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: The dumbest person on television, the mask and vax lady who wants you to fear climate change is calling others fear mongers. It's all kind of hilarious, but also sort of awful, too, in that it's too dishonest.

Candace Owens is not dishonest. She is brutally honest. She's the host of "Candace." We're always grateful to have her on the show. Candace, thanks so much for coming on, so talking about crime, about people dying by the thousands is now immoral?

CANDACE OWENS, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's like watching CNN offer commentary on CNN. I mean, it's ridiculous. Barring the fact that it is CNN and literally nobody is watching and the viewership is abysmal and almost negligible. The commentary here is awful enough that we should talk about it, because it really speaks to what I've been talking about for the last three years, especially to black America.

You know, liberals show up with their science, then this is an extracurricular activity. Black Lives Matter, defund the police, let's get rid of everything in these inner cities, and let us just let criminals run free.

I always said black America, you're going to be the one left picking up the pieces. It is going to be your neighborhoods that are destroyed, it's going to be your children that cannot walk to school without fear, that there is going to be a gang member on the corner that may shoot them. It's going to be your babies that are sitting in cars, and may be shot by a stray bullet.

We have seen this story over and over and over again, where we have the liberals that are saying, oh, it's not as big of a deal, 25 percent more, who cares? I know there is 25 percent more crime. We're way more focused on climate change. I mean, does that not reek of elitism? Do you really think and I really do challenge these people to go door to door in Chicago and knock on people's door and explain to them that climate change is more of a threat.

Climate change, Tucker, by the way, depending on what generation you're from, you know how that always pans out. My generation, it was global warming. The ice caps are going to melt. That didn't happen. The generation before, it was global cooling, they told everybody, it's going to get so cold that everything's going to freeze over. That didn't happen.

You have a generation that thought that there was going to be acid rain, you know, these IPCC mouths. They keep predicting that never happened. Let's focus on that and not the individuals that are quite literally being slaughtered in the streets, everyday Americans, and they are suffering because of the very policies and the people that we're looking at on this panel.

CARLSON: Well, that's totally right. And what's interesting is, these are people who see everything through a partisan lens. So I've often heard liberals say, well, corona is killing mostly right-wing Republicans, so that's fine.

This violence surge is overwhelmingly killing the Democratic base, and speaking for myself, that's not fine. I don't care who they vote for. They're Americans, they're dying. And you would think that the people representing their party would maybe care more than I do, but they care much less. It's so weird.

OWENS: It is weird, and that's why when you're looking at the polls, you're seeing that you're not the only one that's paying attention. You saw this in the President's press conference, they asked Biden flat out, I'm speaking to black Americans on the ground, they're turning away from you. The polls are showing that black Americans are looking in the street, they're seeing these clinics.

You can go shoot dope on the streets of New York City and come out. Good luck if your kid is walking by and this guy is high on methamphetamine and opioid, it doesn't matter, because the Democrats are trying to make these cities more livable for the drug dealers and the criminals, not people that are actually paying taxes and trying to make a decent living.

So yes, they are going to suffer at the polls, and there is no way that they can move the goalposts that is going to change that fact come November.

CARLSON: Yes, you've got to be on the side of decent people who are trying hard, you know, no matter who they vote for, and these people are not on the side of decent people who are trying hard, they are on the side of deviance and the violent and totally anti-social elements. It's really bad, I would say.

Candace Owens, great to see you. Thank you.

OWENS: Absolutely. Thank you.

CARLSON: So parents across the country, not even political people, just people who love their kids are standing up against school districts who are trying to destroy their kids. We have shocking details about one Denver school that is talking to kindergarteners about BLM and transgender ideology. And somehow the school is still open, has not yet been shut down.

We fervently hope it will be, but we've got details, next.

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CARLSON: Well, a new bill just passed the State Senate in Mississippi that would ban public schools from teaching racism. In other words from teaching that any one race is superior to or inferior to any other. You'd think the other 49 states would have similar laws on the book because of course you would never teach racial superiority in school. That's crazy antithetical to everything the country stands for, so you'd think everyone in Mississippi would be thrilled by this. But no, Democrats in the statehouse are so angry they walked out to protest the legislation, which really does tell you everything about where we are right now.

Meanwhile, in Denver, Colorado, an elementary school has announced a plan to quote "engage kindergartner and first grade students in a BLM week of action." Right, BLM, of course, the group that's against the nuclear family.

The week will include quote, "transgender affirming principles," the goal is, quote, "The disruption of Western nuclear family dynamics." How can this continue? Why is the school still open? Good question.

Horace Cooper is the co-chair of Project 21. He joins us tonight. Horace, thanks so much for coming on.

First to the bill of Mississippi. Unless, I am misreading it, I think it was very straightforward. You're not allowed to teach that one race is better or worse than any other. That's kind of a foundational principle. I thought in America, all decent people believe that. I certainly do. Who could be against that?

HORACE COOPER, CO-CHAIR, PROJECT 21: Well, America came together with what is called the Civil Rights movement for precisely this principle, that all Americans are going to be equal and treated as such under the law the way that our founders actually intended with our Constitution.

The irony to me is that my grandparents and your grandparents and the grandparents of a generation understood this concept, and now we get to us, and suddenly, there are people that actually want not Jim Crow 2.0, they want Jim Crow. Government is going to prefer some groups over other groups precisely because of their race. This is a terrible setback.

And the very month that we set aside to celebrate Martin Luther King, we should really be saddened by this effort on the part of those legislators.

CARLSON: Yes, because it just ends at Rwanda, like how is this going to -- how is this going to wind up? What's the end stage? There's nothing good at all.

I have to ask, if a school is teaching kindergarten and first graders the BLM principles, the nuclear family must be disbanded. Why is the school still open? That's so poisonous. It's so evil, then why isn't there a concerted effort to shut the school down like immediately?

COOPER: Well, you know, this is remarkable what I've been witnessing, so many of the bedrock institutions of America are being literally challenged by actions of progressives. You can say that some on the right have been anti-public education. But there's been no poison, no poison like this.

In the law, there's a term called chilling effect, when things are said or done that cause people not to feel comfortable acting in certain ways. Well, tonight, I'm going to tell you, there's a thrilling effect when the government promises to investigate people who criticize CRT, when all of Big Tech sides with proponents of racial segregation, and then they disavow or shadow ban those who advocate equality. It's the thrilling effect that's in place now.

CARLSON: Telling children the nuclear family must be -- that has to be a red line. You can't put up with that. And I hope that they won't. Horace Cooper, thank you.

COOPER: Thank you.

CARLSON: So here is a very weird story. A group of monkeys being transported to a lab linked to the C.D.C. got away after the truck crashed, several escaped. They were caught and killed. What is the story about exactly? What kind of research was being done on these monkeys? What is this?

We have details straight ahead.

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CARLSON: Here's a weird story. On Friday night, a truck carrying a hundred lab monkeys crashed in Pennsylvania, a number of them escaped, three of them. C.D.C. showed up immediately with other authorities, captured them and killed them immediately. Why? What is the story about?

Well, our friend, Trace Gallagher is back. He is on this story for us. Hey, Trace.

GALLAGHER: Hey, Tucker. These were 100 cynomolgus macaques, these are monkeys used in medical studies flown into the U.S. from Eastern Africa. As you said, they were put on a truck headed for an unknown research lab. The truck crashed in rural Pennsylvania and crates full of monkeys spilled onto a road.

Three of the monkeys got loose and State Troopers quickly notified residents not to look for them saying quoting here, "It is hard to say how they would react to a human approaching them." But finding the monkeys was clearly an all hands on deck situation because State Troopers, the C.D.C., the Health Department and Pennsylvania Game Commission were all involved, which made one resident very curious.

He said, quoting here, "We've got bears, we have coyotes, we have deer, you know all the time. A little three pound monkey doesn't scare me. But why are they so concerned about it is what concerns me." Another resident who saw the crash says she went to help the truck driver who told her he was hauling cats. She looked into a cage saying, "Hey kitty, kitty," when a monkey popped up.

The woman was then told by the C.D.C. to monitor herself for any cold-like symptoms. The C.D.C. also told her the monkeys would be monitored for 31 days, but when the missing monkeys were found, they were not monitored. They were killed. Though the C.D.C. has not said why and the C.D.C. has not said what the lab they were heading to is actually researching. Though the C.D.C. did tell us the monkeys could transmit deadly viruses. A lot of questions in this, getting very few answers -- Tucker.

CARLSON: Why they are so concerned is what so concerns me, it's just so nicely put. Thank you. Thank you for that story, Trace Gallagher.

GALLAGHER: You bet.

CARLSON: And they are fascinating. All right, so head on over to "Tucker Carlson Today" featuring our interview with Kara Dansky. That's online. We highly recommend it.

We are out of time, this evening, sadly. But the Great Sean Hannity takes over next for 9:00 PM. Hey Sean.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: You leave me in a state of fear over the mystery of the monkeys. I appreciate that.

CARLSON: Weird.

HANNITY: Thank you very much.

CARLSON: Good night.

HANNITY: It's a fascinating story. Why did they kill them? It didn't make sense. All right, Tucker, thank you.

CARLSON: Yes.

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