‘I Think You May Be Coming Undone, Kurt’: MSNBC Contributor’s Bizarre Carlson Show Appearance
Carlson: ‘I’m starting to have concerns about you, Kurt.’
Regular Legal Insurrection readers will recognize the name Kurt Eichenwald. A senior writer at Newsweek [which apparently still exists], Eichenwald is a frequent guest on Joy Reid’s MSNBC show, where he can be counted on to spout virulently anti-Republican/Trump views. We’ve chronicled, as here and here, his predilection to burst into disdainful laughter in the face of conservative interlocutors.
On MSNBC, Eichenwald’s odd nature had been sheltered in a comfortable cocoon. But on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show of Thursday evening, Eichenwald’s deep weirdness was exposed.
The meltdown came when Carlson pressed Eichenwald to answer a simple question: is it true, as Eichenwald had tweeted, that Donald Trump had been confined to a mental institution in 1990? Rather than answer the question, Eichenwald went off on a variety of tangents, including the stunt of hauling out a big binder he had created of Carlson’s supposed “falsehoods.”
Whenever Tucker would try to haul him back, Eichenwald would piteously complain that he was not being permitted to answer the question. Things went from the amusingly odd to the pathetically strange at the end, when Eichenwald claimed that he had received a “message” from “people at the CIA.” He claimed to know and have been in the home of a lot of CIA agents, and that “they are really delivering this to you and to Donald Trump.” When Tucker asked what the secret message was, Eichenwald again rambled on, finally leading Carlson to observe: “I’m starting to have concerns about you, Kurt.”
Carlson peppered the interview with other comments on the oddness of his interlocutor:
- This is performance art. I’ve never had an interview like this in my life.
- You may be coming undone, Kurt.
- You’re filibustering with this weirdness.
- Kurt, this is a little nutty! I got to be honest!
- You are humiliating yourself by your unwillingness to answer a simple question.
- I can’t imagine negotiating something with you. I think I would go crazy.
- This is performance art! I’ve never had an interview like this in my life!
- I would have real concerns if I were one of your editors. And I mean that.
- I’m concerned about your behavior on this show tonight.
Note: Eichenwald went on a tweet storm after the show, which he later deleted. It was captured, however, and can be seen here. Poor guy.
TUCKER CARLSON: I’ve been reading your stuff for 20 years probably. But in the last year I’ve noticed an increasingly, I think it’s fair to say, partisan turn from you. And so I looked up your bio and it describes you as a senior writer at Newsweek which suggests journalism. Do you believe that you’re practicing journalism?
KURT EICHENWALD: [ Laughter ]
. . .
TUCKER: I read your Twitter feed and this is the kind of stuff I’m reading on it. At one point you asked of conservatives why they hate America. You describe Trump as, quote, stupid and lazy. You refer to “dumb-ass Trumpers.” You say this to Kellyanne Fitzpatrick [Conway] “F you.” You say to Trump voters “go F yourself.”
KURT: Hold on, hold on again, Tucker. One of the things I want to make sure of, you have a real habit of taking a lot of things out of context.
. . .
TUCKER: But the next day you say quite ironically, and I’m quoting, I believe Trump was institutionalized in a mental hospital for a nervous breakdown in 1990, which is why he won’t release his medical record.
. . .
TUCKER: [after long Eichenwald ramble not addresseing the question] Was he in a mental hospital or not in 1990, you allege that he was. Was he or wasn’t he? He wasn’t, was he?
KURT: Can I, I mean Tucker, if you don’t want me to answer the question, tell me so and then we can move on.
TUCKER: I’m asking you the question! Was he in a mental hospital in 1908 or not.
KURT: But I would like to answer the question. You have made an accusation. Let me answer.
TUCKER: No. I read your tweet!
KURT: So In 1990, I was told that there was essentially a breakdown. I’m giving reporting process here, okay? Clearly I didn’t print it. I also thought Trump was a private individual and it didn’t matter.
TUCKER: Well, you print it right here. [holds up copy of tweet] . . .
This is a very long story. You said he was in a mental hospital in 1990, was he or wasn’t he?KURT: Can I finish, Tucker? If you don’t like the answer —
TUCKER: — it’s a really simple question. I’m asking you to finish, sir. Please answer the question.
KURT: If you don’t like the answer, don’t have guests. But I would really like to answer your question.
TUCKER: It’s a simple question: was he in a mental hospital as you claimed, or wasn’t he?
KURT: Tucker, would you like me to answer the question or not? If the answer is no, say so!
TUCKER: Please succinctly answer the question.
KURT: But don’t pretend you want the answer if you won’t let me answer the question.
TUCKER: You’re filibustering with this weirdness.
KURT: We can go back and say oh!, here are Tucker Carlson falsehoods [raises large binder labelled “Tucker Carlson Falsehoods.] Let’s go through them one at a time. I urge you —
TUCKER: Kurt, you said the guy was in a mental hospital.
KURT: Put them on the Fox News website. Do you want me to answer the question or not? Just give me a yes or no.
TUCKER: This is highly tiresome. Yeah. I want you to answer this question. Was he in a mental hospital in 1990 as you allege or was he not?
KURT: Let me answer the question.
TUCKER: Go ahead.
KURT: Look, you’re not fooling anybody. You’re trying to stop me from giving the answer. So let me give you the answer.
TUCKER: [chuckles] Kurt, this is a little nutty! I got to be honest! I’m asking you a very crisp question.
KURT: I noticed this earlier this week you take people off the air when you don’t like what they are saying.
. . .
TUCKER: You describe Trump as paranoid, unstable man.
KURT: You are not letting me answer the question.
TUCKER: Okay. I think that you are humiliating yourself by your unwillingness to answer a simple question. So please answer it, last time —
KURT: I’m trying to answer the question. Unfortunately, unlike on your world —
TUCKER: — do you have evidence that he was in a mental hospital in 1990 or don’t you.
KURT: — reality is not always able to give you a yes or no answer. If you don’t — look how much time we are wasting with me trying to say let me answer your question, and you refusing to allow me to do it.
TUCKER: I can’t imagine negotiating something with you. I think I would go crazy.
. . .
TUCKER: This is just stupid, Kurt, I’m sorry, nobody’s getting anything out of this. I’m asking you a plain question. You are not asking. You are filibustering. Let’s move on to something else. Can you stop? This is not interesting.
KURT: No, Tucker. I am not allowing to you make an accusation and then not allowing me to answer.
TUCKER: I’m not making an accusation, Kurt.
KURT: That is obscene! It is not journalism.
TUCKER: I’m asking you to substantiate a claim that you made.
KURT: If you don’t want to be a journalist, if you don’t want to have a dialogue, don’t have guests.
TUCKER: Can I just ask you one last question?
KURT: I’m trying to answer this question. Nobody is getting fooled. You are trying to stop me.
TUCKER: How can Newsweek employ you as a reporter, Kurt, when you’re throwing lines like this around that are untrue, that you can’t substantiate, when you say to the president’s spokesman “F you.” That’s not the behavior of a reporter.
KURT: Okay. Let’s go here. Let me take one for you. [again hauls out binder of Carlson “falsehoods.] How can Fox News employ you? You really want to do this? Do you really want to play this game or do you want me to answer?
TUCKER: This is performance art! I’ve never had an interview like this in my life!
KURT: We can put all this on newsweek.com if you want. Can I tweet it all out if you want. I want you to put it up on the Fox News website. Or, you can let me answer your question.
TUCKER: I think — you may be coming undone, Kurt.
KURT: I’m begging you to let me answer the question.
TUCKER: I’m going to give you 30 seconds to answer this question. Do you have evidence that he was institutionalized in a mental hospital in 1990; 30 seconds.
KURT: I am answering this question that is still on the table. Now, okay. I will say this because it’s a message I have got from people from the CIA. I know a lot of officers. I know a lot of agents. I’ve been in their homes, and they’re really delivering this to you and to Donald Trump. These are people who have sacrificed a lot for this country. They go through —
TUCKER: What’s the message?
KURT: — into the CIA every day. They walk past that wall with 117 black stars —
TUCKER: I get it. What’s the message?
KURT: If you’re going to say that we can’t talk about the fact that there are 117 patriots whose lives have been lost serving this country, that’s fine.
TUCKER: I’m starting to have concerns about you, Kurt. Tell me what the secret message from the CIA is.
KURT: — putting their lives on the line to be sources of information for the CIA. That information is coming in. That information is then being put together by analysts who are not well-paid and they do very hard work and they do it because they are patriots.
TUCKER: Yes, okay. I’m sorry. We’re out of time. Kurt. And I don’t mean this in a cruel way. I would have real concerns if I were one of your editors. And I mean that.
KURT: And when you turn around and call them liars, it’s fake news, it’s despicable.
TUCKER: I’m not calling anyone a liar. But I am saying, I’m concerned about your behavior on this show tonight. But thanks a lot for joining us.
KURT: That’s because you won’t let me answer your questions. I don’t think anybody is fooled.
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Comments
Even more entertainment over at twitchy about this idiots melt down post interview 🙂
http://twitchy.com/loriz-3139/2016/12/16/best-part-of-the-tucker-carlson-kurt-eichenwald-nutty-interview-this-tucker-carlson-face/
This guy is SERIOUSLY deranged. Its no wonder he is a lefty fake news hack.
Its not that he wasn’t allowed to answer the question (or any question come to think of it)…its that he didn’t want to answer ANY question other than bluster his way through the interview. Although I will give the moron credit for at least coming semi-prepared for the interview BUT sadly it only added to the picture of him being an idiot (whats with the fake binder? Do you think if we looked in it we might find some of Romneys women?).
Mailman
The man interviewed was an obvious a$$hole and we could all see it. But I didn’t think Carlson did a very good job either. Every time he began to re-ask the question, he would blather on for another two minutes with his goofy laugh. It was almost unwatchable for me.
Tucker Carlson has the BEST laugh on television.
Carlson didn’t have to do anything…that was the beauty of this interview. The moron hung himself with his own smugness 🙂
Well I gotta commend Tucker for his patience, I would have ended the interview after the first couple attempts by this jerk to dance around giving Tucker a solid answer. He just wanted to spread rumor and innuendo with this mental hospital thing as a way to damage Trump. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that no he does not have any evidence whatsoever that Trump was ever institutionalized. He may have rumors, tips from anonymous sources, but no actual documentation or other actual real EVIDENCE which is what Tucker was asking for.
It’s too late
He’s gone too far
He’s lost the sun
He’s come undun
Another fish in a barrel.
Almost the entire left are fish in a barrel for people like Tucker Carlson.
Tucker makes Fox look good. Best show on TV.
Well, if appearances is all it takes for you. You, me, or just about anybody else on LI could do this. It’s choir music.
I disagree.
He is showing people that otherwise do not see it just how looney the left really is. A vast majority of people have no idea. This was a writer (spit) for Newsweek. I don’t think most people realize just how deranged these people really are (to repeat myself). It’s a good thing.
We need those “appearances”…
He’s a journalist, a vocational group that enjoys a lower approval rating than congress. Nothing new is being revealed here, just confirmed for the FOX news regular viewers who cannot be so ignorant of leftist lunacy. In fact, it is because of FOX’s viewership (rightfully) hating leftist lunacy that guys like this are sought ought for onscreen anihilation. In the national picture he’s nobody, crazy or sane.
Lol, you can almost hear the Carlson show guest booking staff telling Tucker, “oh dude, we have GOT to get this guy on – he’s absolutely nuts!”
A certain percentage of people, most of whom watch FOX news, have an understandable deep resentment at all the crap we’ve had to listen to from liberal leaders over the past decade. Whenever a politician or media talking head gets tough on liberals (while the GOPe set has refused to do so) this audience makes a hero of them. Ann Coulter, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, etc., etc., were made media heroes and presidential candidates in some cases because of it. These Carlson interviews are sips of revenge water for an audience in deep thirst for it.
I enjoy a good liberal smackdown as much as anyone, but not these set-ups of loony liberal nobodies Carlson is ‘destroying’. For one thing, it takes no skill as an interviewer to puch down so very low. Who’s next, the Rent Is Too High! guy? Let me know when he ‘destroys’ a John Podesta, Palmieri, Pelosi, Clinton, etc.
“Let me know when he ‘destroys’ a John Podesta, Palmieri, Pelosi, Clinton, etc.”
They will never go on a show with less than friendly credentials. They can be destroyed as well should they appear with someone that has no desire to prop them up.
So, we’re left with the ones that will, believing they are superior.
Sips of revenge water? I’ll take it. You assume too much with respect to the general population. They do not know how looney these people are. Fox doesn’t just get the rabid right wingers.
You don’t have to be a rabid right winger to get that libs are loony or to watch FOX news. I don’t think the majority of FOX viewers are rabid right wingers, I’d guess ‘center-right’ holds the plurality, if not a majority, and I’d bet a majority is well aware of liberal lunacy.
In a way, you make my point by admitting that libs who hold high places – whose ass-kicking by a Carlson type might actually change something – know better than to go on conservative leaning media for interviews. Ergo, Carlson beats up on those too small and/or too stupid and/or too desperate for TV face time.
Anyway…. I’ve neglected to ask the ultimate question of one NC-er to another…. UNC? NCSU? Duke? ECU? WFU?
Secret message: Drink more Ovaltine.
Don’t know about 1990, but in 1991, Obama was born in Kenya. According to his own bio at the time.
Amazing what a few years can do.
One of the funniest/saddest things I’ve watched in a long time. With guys like that, Newsweek’s final demise will be sooner than later.
Props to MTED for the Cummings reference – nice.
Rags, is that you?
Thank you for the long and convincing transcript. There are situations where the sound bites are inadequate.
My pleasure. A little inside LI baseball: our video platform provides a transcript. But it is taken from the closed captioning, which as you know is filled with all sorts of errors.
So producing an accurate transcript is time-consuming. Glad to hear you feel it was worth it!
A sterling case like this merits a good transcript. This exchange reads like something out of Nikolai Gogol’s Dead Souls. Pure classic wackiness.
That fool represents the entire left very well.
Oh, I’ve been making it a point to try and catch Tucker’s show when possible. Watched this one “live”. Highly recommended for the entertainment value and destruction of the left.
Top kek.
I must admit that I never cared much for Carlson in his earlier incarnations. Seemed a bit too dweeby for my taste and seemed to be trying too hard so I seldom watched any shows he was part of. His new show is a revelation; he’s apparently matured, is measured, razor sharp, direct and confident in confronting empty leftist claims and outright lies. That sort of direct confrontation is something that has been sorely lacking on cable or the broadcast networks the past eight years. Showing up just in time, too, given the left’s shouted threat to (attempt to) practice actual sceptical journalism again (highly doubt they’ll succeed in the classical journalism sense).
Perfectly put, IMHO!
We should all thank Greta for bailing.
so a guy who dealt with child porn now claims a tweet of a strobe caused his issues.
ludicrous drive here we come…
I was confused when I first saw this interview – I thought at first that Tucker kept interrupting him.
On second glance, and as I read the text of the interview, I see that Tucker’s point – that the guy made outrageous, salacious allegations, but when asked to verify, would segue into a long story, in order to further insinuate his allegations – but not really answer the question definitively.
“Thank you for the long and convincing transcript. There are situations where the sound bites are inadequate.”
As a person with serious hearing problems, I am especially grateful. Usually I simply don’t try to find out what a video says.
Glad you find the transcripts useful.
I have some hearing loss myself and sometimes find it difficult to decipher some words when listening to the audio as I prepare the transcript. I’ll occasionally recruit someone with sharper ears to help me catch a barely audible word or phrase.
It was really funny. “Let’s move on to our next question… How can Newsweek employ you if you just make stuff up?”
And yeah, the binder is a nice touch. It’s probably full of X files fan fiction.
Having rarely if ever watched Greta, I was unaware of the seriously bad blood feud she had with Carlson, mainly over a DC article about Mike Tyson – ran across a segment of her show interviewing him about it, but presumably also other things as she flat-out called him a liar. Bit of irony, then, that he ended up with her spot.
Per Drudge, it looks like chapter 2 of the meltdown saga is getting started:
“Newsweek journalist Kurt Eichenwald may soon be pushing the boundaries of an assault claim and is now petitioning a Texas court for help.”
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/newsweek-writer-goes-twitter-user-allegedly-causing-seizure-957631