The secretary of defense wore a face shield in the world's deadliest COVID-19 hot zone, and Tucker Carlson used it to insult his weight

The government of the Philippines has mandated face masks and face shields, but Carlson didn't even mention where Lloyd Austin was, let alone the local public health guidelines

Written by Nikki McCann Ramirez

Published

A recent segment on Fox News’s Tucker Carlson Tonight attacked U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for wearing a face mask and face shield during a public appearance. Host Tucker Carlson said Austin was wearing a “costume” and accused him of being “terrified of COVID”: “How long before Lloyd Austin is wearing surgical gloves in the shower and zip-tying garbage bags around his feet? The United States military is being run by a neurotic cat lady.”

From the July 29, 2021, edition of Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight

TUCKER CARLSON (HOST): Today the secretary of defense appeared in public wearing this costume.

That's Mr. Lloyd Austin, ladies and gentlemen, the man in charge of our weapons systems. What's he got on there? Is that a welder's mask? Is it a dental visor? Has Lloyd Austin been cleaning teeth this morning? Nope. Looks like Lloyd Austin is just terrified of COVID.

Well then, why doesn't he lose weight? Quite a bit of weight actually. That's a good question. That would be the rational response. So, of course, he has not even considered that.

Lloyd Austin instead got the vaccine. But he is still so petrified of corona that he put a windshield over his face and demanded that all of his dutiful little minions do the same – an entire army of dental hygienists. Watch out, China. Move against Taiwan and we'll scrape the tartar off your molars.

And yet, even after all of those comically elaborate precautions, Lloyd Austin still looks scared for his life. Notice how he bumps their hands instead of shaking them.

How long before Lloyd Austin is wearing surgical gloves in the shower and zip-tying garbage bags around his feet? The United States military is being run by a neurotic cat lady.

Our entire government is at this point.

The segment failed to mention that Austin had been traveling to the Philippines, where the government has mandated the use of face masks and face shields in public places in the face of surging COVID-19 cases.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio joined in on the pile-on, calling Austin’s compliance with local requirements while on a diplomatic mission “embarrassing COVID theater.”

The attack on Austin is a textbook example of the manner in which Fox News has continued to undermine public health measures regarding COVID-19, often stripping stories of context or presenting incomplete information to viewers.