The terrifying transformation of Tucker Carlson is now complete

One of the most grotesque phenomena of the past few years - and that's considering a lot of contenders - is the spectacle of a formerly, at least ostensibly, principled and articulate conservative swallowing the Trump Kool-Aid and, in Edward Hyde fashion, taking decidedly non-conservative developments.

There was a time when he ably defended positions broadly understood to be right of center at The Weekly Standard, in various other publications, and on various cable television networks, including his current employer, Fox News. He was a founder of The Daily Caller. 

About a year into US involvement in Iraq, he made an abrupt turnabout in his position, calling the endeavor a disaster. Fair enough. Although the US was working from the same intelligence as European spy agencies, it's true that no WMDs were ever found, and the Saddam regime's other offenses (scamming the UN oil-for-food program, harassing US planes enforcing the no-fly zone resulting from conditions imposed after Desert Storm, the regime having one of the world's most horrific human-rights records) could have been dealt with in ways short of invasion. Few people today are absolutists about the Iraq invasion and its aftermath.

But his view of that situation morphed into the broad-brush characterization of all US engagement of Middle East instabilities as getting mired in "senseless wars," a catchphrase mainly heard, at least since 2016, from conservatives who transformed themselves into Trumpists.

As the Trump era has unfolded, he's also embraced protectionism, claiming that a top-down economic policy that "protects families" and doesn't give in to a "ruling elite" is somehow morally superior to the approach to which he adhered in his days as a Cato Institute senior fellow - that is, unvarnished free-market economics.

But nothing demonstrates a sharp departure from anything he used to be about like the excuses he's made for Trump's appeasement of the murderous Kim Jong-un:

Fox News host Tucker Carlson defended President Donald Trump's friendly rapport with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un — whose government has been accused of severe human rights violations — by claiming that other countries, including American allies, also "commit atrocities."

After shaking hands with Kim on Sunday, Trump stepped into North Korean territory, making history as the first U.S. president to enter the east Asian country. The seemingly spontaneous event at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the North and South came one day after Trump suggested the pair share an impromptu handshake at the border in a tweet.

"After some very important meetings, including my meeting with President Xi of China, I will be leaving Japan for South Korea (with President Moon)," Trump tweeted on Saturday. "While there, if Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!"

During a segment on Fox & Friends Sunday, co-host Pete Hegseth asked Carlson, who was touring with the president, whether he believed Trump and Kim shared a "sincere" relationship."I think it is, I mean it's certainly sincere on Trump's part," Carlson said, via phone. "I mean, it's absolutely sincere. He's totally unembarrassed to say I kind of like Kim, you know, KJU as they call him here, I kind of like him. You know, I mean, whatever you think of that, there's never been a president that's been willing to be that blunt."

Carlson admitted that while the president may not be an "admirer" of the "atrocities" that his North Korean counterpart has committed, Trump still thinks Kim is a "competent, scrappy guy" and respects his "toughness."
Co-host Jebediah Bila then pointed out that Trump's friendly relationship with Kim ⁠— "someone who has been responsible for so many human rights abuses" ⁠— makes "some people nervous."

"Yeah I mean, there's no defending the North Korean regime, which is a monstrous regime; it's the last really Stalinist regime in the world. It's a disgusting place, obviously. So there's no defending it," Carlson admitted, before then defending the president by attempting to compare North Korea's actions to other nations.

"You got to be honest about what it means to lead a country, it means killing people," argued Carlson. "Not on the scale that the North Koreans do, but a lot of countries commit atrocities, including a number that we're closely allied with. So, I'm not a relativist or anything, but it's important to be honest about that."

"It's just kind of the nature of life, and certainly the nature of power," Carlson concluded. "And I do think that's how the president sees it. He's, you know, far less sentimental about this stuff, and maybe, I think more realistic about him."

This is terrifying. We've seen the pull of cults of personality in other countries (such as was documented in Triumph of the Will) and on non-governmental / political levels of American life, but this is unprecedented: a prominent television pundit who, it has come to light, has the president's ear, making excuses for the most beastly human-rights violations on the planet.

Let us hope that outrage over this spreads and that Fox has to cut him loose. He's outside the bounds now.