Tucker Carlson Successfully Argues Nobody Really Believes Tucker Carlson Is Reporting Facts
By
Joseph Fawbush, Esq. on September 30, 2020 1:38 PM
When Tucker Carlson says on his show “[r]emember the facts of the story; these are undisputed" no reasonable person would believe that he was about to state facts. At least, that was Tucker Carlson's own argument in defending himself from a libel suit.
That argument convinced U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, who dismissed a lawsuit brought by model and actress Karen McDougal. McDougal sued for defamation, alleging Carlson baselessly told his audience she was extorting the President. President Trump allegedly paid $150,000 to help keep quiet a year-long affair with the former Playboy model.
"Bloviating for the Audience"
According to Judge Vyskocil, “Fox persuasively argues . . . that given Mr. Carlson's reputation, any reasonable viewer arrives with an appropriate amount of skepticism about the statements he makes." She doesn't stop there,
writing that “[w]hether the Court frames Mr. Carlson's statements as exaggeration, non-literal commentary, or simply bloviating for his audience, the conclusion remains the same—the statements are not actionable."
Judge Vyskocil also pointed out that Carlson said “sounds like" prior to saying the word extortion, which “would put any reasonable viewer on notice that Carlson himself doubts the veracity of the source of these statements and that the listener should as well."
President Trump appointed Judge Vyskocil to the bench in 2019.
Tucker Carlson Successfully Argues Nobody Really Believes Tucker Carlson Is Reporting Facts - FindLaw
'nuff said.
