A guest on Fox News called prime-time host Tucker Carlson a “conspiracy theorist” and ripped into other conservative thought leaders for questioning coronavirus vaccines and proposed systems that would track who has been vaccinated in the country.
“People need to get vaccinated and it is the private sector who wants to make sure that people coming into their venues are vaccinated so that their patrons can be safe from COVID-19,” said Chris Hahn, a liberal firebrand who often appears on the network and spars with more conservative guests. “It is time for conservatives in this country to acknowledge that we have a crisis in this country and start joining the fight to end it.”
Hahn said leading voices in the conservative movement should “stop spreading lies about what’s going on in this country.”
Mercedes Schlapp, a conservative activist who was appearing on Tuesday’s episode of “The Faulkner Focus” with Hahn, shot back: “You are not going to call me a liar. You are not going to call me a conspiracy theorist. You are not going to call Tucker Carlson a conspiracy theorist.”
“He is,” Hahn shouted back. “He is and you are.”
“I stand for freedom,” Schlapp responded. “I stand for the freedom of the American people.”
Hahn interrupted her again, yelling: “No, you don’t. You’re a grifter.”
Guest host Gillian Turner attempted to regain control of the segment, asking the pair: “Let’s not do name-calling, OK guys? Let’s keep it civil.”
“He does this all the time,” Schlapp said. “I’m not gonna allow him to call me a liar and Tucker Carlson a liar.”
Hahn insisted again: “They are damaging the effort to get this under control.”
In recent days, prominent voices in the GOP have criticized so-called vaccine passports, a system that would allow public places to track who has been vaccinated.
“We always said we wanted to provide it for all but mandate it for none,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said this week. “It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply participate in normal society.”