Tucker Carlson is obsessed with Montel Williams. At least that’s what the former talk show host says, and understandably so. On Monday, as Mediaite reports, Carlson ran a bizarre (even for Tucker) segment about vice president Kamala Harris, which suggested that she rose to power by sleeping with powerful men—or, as Daily Beast’s Justin Baragona rightly described it, “Just a little slut-shaming on cable news’ most-watched program.”
Cool, cool. Just a little slut-shaming on cable news’ most-watched program. pic.twitter.com/yzh9YetvTf
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) November 16, 2021
Though the vice president has been married to Douglas Emhoff since 2014, Carlson felt the need to dredge up Harris’ dating past accompanied by chyrons like “Kamala Harris Always Wanted Power,” “Kamala’s History of Dating Powerful Men,” and “Kamala’s Background Not Helping Her as Veep.” Carlson was particularly fascinated with her relationship with Williams, noting: “Harris also dated the tabloid TV show host Montel Williams, who was always doing shows about people’s weird sex lives.” (We’ll take your word for that, Tucker.)
Carlson, feigning confusion, wanted to know what that relationship was all about. “What did Montel Williams think of it? We would love to talk with Montel Williams about his torrid relationship with Ka-MAL-a or KAM-a-la because that would be one of those blanks we’d like to fill in.”
“We would love to talk with Montel Williams about his torrid relationship with Ka-MAL-a or KAM-a-la because that would be one of those blanks we’d like to fill in.” pic.twitter.com/swAOHMr3gp
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) November 16, 2021
What sort of “blanks” Carlson is looking for is the only blank worth filling in here, though it might be better to not know. News of Harris and Williams’ relationship is not breaking news. While it was all over Twitter shortly after the 2020 presidential election, Williams addressed their past dalliance back in 2019, when he wondered “if the same stories about her dating history would have been written if she were a male candidate?”
“@KamalaHarris and I briefly dated about 20 years ago when we were both single. So what? I have great respect for Sen. Harris. I have to wonder if the same stories about her dating history would have been written if she were a male candidate?”
.@KamalaHarris and I briefly dated about 20 years ago when we were both single. So what? I have great respect for Sen. Harris. I have to wonder if the same stories about her dating history would have been written if she were a male candidate? https://t.co/UQjkP2m5jr
— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) August 7, 2019
When asked by Mediaite whether he’d be willing to speak with Carlson, Williams—who called the whole thing “weird” and noted that Carlson has “been oddly obsessed with me… for years”— said he didn’t know if he’d be able to as he was “not sure they allow people who look like me in either of the two very White enclaves he does the show from.”
Williams also isn’t so sure that he and Carlson would have much in common. “I got where I am without being an heir to a fish sticks fortune,” Williams said, making reference to Carlson’s stepmother, Patricia Swanson, heiress to the Swanson food company—makers of TV dinners and, yes, fish sticks. “I grew up in the wrong part of Baltimore and succeeded nonetheless,” Williams continued. “Would Tucker be where he is if his dad hadn’t married a fish sticks heiress?”
(Via Mediaite)