Donald Trump Jr. appeared on Fox News’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” this week where he sounded off on his recent Twitter suspension after sharing a video on his account that showed doctors discussing the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19.
“Now, when I posted that video, I didn’t say, well, this is the gospel,” Trump said (video below). “I said, wow, this is a must-watch because it seems very contrary to the narrative that they’ve been force-feeding us for a little while.”
Trump noted that Twitter has previously stated that coronavirus disinformation spread by the Chinese government does not violate their rules.
“It was very nice watching the people from CNN or MSNBC because Jake Tapper himself, a few weeks ago, posted, ‘study finds hydroxychloroquine helped coronavirus patients survive better,’” Trump continued. “Now, why is Jake Tapper not spreading misinformation, but I somehow am? And again, I’m not a doctor. I didn’t claim to be. I just put something out there that challenged the narrative, and because I have a large platform, I’m canceled.”
“You know who else got thrown off Twitter for the same offense? Sidney Powell, who happens to be Michael Flynn’s attorney and has been someone who has been sticking it to the Left,” Trump said. “So if Fake Jake [Tapper] at CNN, who no one is going to confuse as a conservative can put it, but not be censored, not be questioned, and certainly not be grilled by a panel of his peers on CNN, why is it that it’s happening to me and other Trump conservatives and other conservatives in general?”
Trump’s “Fake Jake” comment appears to be in reference to the anchor’s promotion in early July of a CNN report on a study Tapper summarized as showing “hydroxychloroquine helped coronavirus patients survive better,” a claim contradicted by other studies.
Study finds hydroxychloroquine helped coronavirus patients survive better – CNN https://t.co/QQsBcw1VJ6
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) July 3, 2020
Video and transcript of Trump’s appearance on Fox News below:
FOX NEWS HOST TUCKER CARLSON: Those of us who have been in this business for a while never dreamed we’d live to see journalists calling for more censorship, but that’s where we are.
Donald Trump, Jr. is the author of the new book, “Liberal Privilege.” It’s available for pre-order. We’re happy to have him join us tonight. Don, thanks so much for coming on.
So I just have to ask you the bluntest possible question with respect. Given the level of censorship imposed on you and anyone who supports the incumbent president, does the incumbent have a chance of getting re-elected?
DONALD TRUMP, JR., EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, TRUMP ORGANIZATIONS: Well, listen, I’ve been saying this for a long time. I wrote my first book about just this. The censorship coming from the Big Tech giants from California, from as homogenous a group as you could possibly imagine.
CARLSON: That’s for sure.
TRUMP, JR.: And if they’re censoring my account, they’re censoring others. You know, they have been trying to do this for a while. I’ve been talking about the de-platforming, the de-monetization of people that have big social platforms that are preaching conservative values, because Tucker, you have to note, this never happens to someone saying something that benefits the Left. It only hurts conservatives.
Now, when I posted that video, I didn’t say, well, this is the gospel. I said, wow, this is a must watch because it seems very contrary to the narrative that they’ve been force-feeding us for a little while.
Now, Twitter takes me down for that, but Twitter has no problem saying that coronavirus disinformation spread by the Chinese government does not violate their rules. That’s interesting. It happens all one way.
It was very nice watching the people from CNN or MSNBC because Jake Tapper himself, a few weeks ago, posted, study finds hydroxychloroquine helped coronavirus patients survive better.
Now, why is Jake Tapper not spreading misinformation, but I somehow am? And again, I’m not a doctor. I didn’t claim to be. I just put something out there that challenged the narrative, and because I have a large platform, I’m canceled.
You know who else got thrown off Twitter for the same offense? Sidney Powell, who happens to be Michael Flynn’s attorney and has been someone who has been sticking it to the Left. So if Fake Jake at CNN, who no one is going to confuse as a conservative can put it, but not be censored, not be questioned, and certainly not be grilled by a panel of his peers on CNN, why is it that it’s happening to me and other Trump conservatives and other conservatives in general?
CARLSON: If I see another Republican officeholder, backed by Google and the Chamber of Commerce, lecture me that it’s not really censorship because the government isn’t doing it, it’s just a monopoly the exists because of the government, I’m going to go bananas.
I mean, is there anybody in power who can step in to defend the basic — most basic right of all of the American people, which is to say what you think is true?
TRUMP, JR.: Well, actually, I think Josh Hawley in the Senate has done a very good job challenging this.
CARLSON: Yes, I agree with that.
TRUMP, JR.: Kevin McCarthy in the House has done the same thing, and that’s the problem. Like I said, I’ve been talking about this thing for three years.
I see what happens to my Twitter feed. I’m probably getting less than half the retweets, and I do enough of this that I know what I’m going to get before I hit send. They’re doing what they can.
I did a panel at CPAC with Josh and Kevin McCarthy about just this. They’re aware. The real problem is that the vast majority of conservative legislators and Republicans have no idea that this issue is even going on, and more importantly, they don’t realize that it’s probably a top two or three issue with their base.
If you’re religious, if you’re pro-life, if you’re pro-Second Amendment, just look at your analytics, and they’ve gone through the floor. It’s just been a disaster.
CARLSON: Exactly.
TRUMP, JR.: And it’s happened systematically on purpose, and it’s gone on now for years. They have to wake up.
CARLSON: So before you go, I just cannot resist getting your view of this. The Attorney General was up on the Hill today for hearings. Here’s Congressman Jerry Nadler of Manhattan responding to a question about the violence. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JERROLD NADLER, D-N.Y.: I would remind Mr. Jordan, Mr. Biggs, and Mr. Johnson to stop violating the rules of the committee, to stop violating the safety of the members of the committee, to stop holding themselves out as not caring by refusing to wear their masks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: Oh, different clip but equally, equally nuts. What do you think of that?
TRUMP, JR.: Well, listen, I mean, this is typical Democrat. Do as I say, not as I do. This is the same Jerry Nadler that yesterday on TV was denying that anything’s even going on in Portland, as it relates to the violence that is decimating Democrat-controlled cities.
Now, again, 19 of the top 20 cities in this country are Democrat-run, Democrat mayors who appoint Democrats across the board. In many cases, these cities has been run by Democrats for over a hundred years. Yet magically, it’s Donald Trump’s fault.
It was Donald Trump’s fault when he sent federal officers to help and assist the Portland PD, who by the way, were under attack every night for five weeks prior to those federal officers being there. But again, it’s magically Donald Trump’s fault.
But that’s the problem, Tucker. The news that’s getting disseminated to the average guy – people like you and me, we perhaps do this stuff all day long, we can see through it – but if you’re a hard-working man or woman, you’re putting food on your table. You’re consuming five, ten minutes of news, and it’s that filtered and it’s that bias. That is the lens by which you are getting your news, it’s hard to make an accurate opinion because you’re being spoon fed all of these things.
CARLSON: Well, exactly.
TRUMP, JR.: And that is their intention.
CARLSON: And so you wind up getting a health lecture from Jerry Nadler and nobody laughs. It’s beyond belief.
Don Trump, great to see you tonight.
TRUMP, JR.: I mean, that would be one of the great ironies of all time.
CARLSON: I know. It’s really unbelievable. It’s like Ed Gein telling you to go vegan.
TRUMP, JR.: If I start taking that advice, I’ve got bigger problems, but – –
CARLSON: Great to see you. Thank you.