Tucker Carlson's fans follow his suggestion to dox New York Times reporter
Right-wing media also spread claim, denied by the Times, that the paper was going to publish Carlson’s address
Written by Eric Kleefeld
Published
Monday night, Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused The New York Times of planning to publish the location of his home in a story “about where we live” and, in the process, also incited his followers to reveal the addresses of the reporter and photographer. The paper promptly denied Carlson’s allegation, even asserting that he knew it was false. But right-wing media figures and outlets are repeating Carlson’s assertion and attacking the Times, and Carlson’s fans have already started doxxing the reporter and photographer he mentioned by name.
During the final segment of his show Monday night, Carlson began by referring to an incident from 2018, in which a crowd of protesters gathered outside his then-home in Washington, D.C. Carlson had claimed that his family had been threatened and his front door had been cracked from someone pounding on it. (Though at the time, other reports disputed the extent of his claims.)
Carlson then accused the Times of preparing a story “about where we live,” set to run next week. “Editors there know exactly what will happen to my family when it does run. I called them today, and I told them. But they didn't care. They hate my politics. They want this show off the air.”
Then Carlson rhetorically asked how the Times staffers would feel if they were doxxed:
A spokesperson for the paper told The Washington Post: “While we do not confirm what may or may not publish in future editions, the Times has not and does not plan to expose any residence of Tucker Carlson’s, which Carlson was aware of before tonight’s broadcast.”
But soon after Carlson’s broadcast, users on 4chan message boards and Twitter began doxxing reporter Murray Carpenter and photographer Tristan Spinski.
Washington Post national political reporter Felicia Sonmez reported that some Carlson supporters are now talking about obtaining the layout of Carpenter’s home:
But right-wing media figures and outlets are repeating Carlson’s accusation against the Times, including The Washington Examiner, The Federalist, The Daily Caller, right-wing radio host Bill Mitchell, The Post Millennial, RealClearPolitics writer Mark Hemingway, and ABC’s The View co-host Meghan McCain.
Carlson previously issued another vague threat over a separate controversy. After then-top writer Blake Neff resigned when reporting surfaced that he had been posting bigoted messages in online forums for years, Carlson declared: “We should also point out to the ghouls now beating their chests in triumph at the destruction of a young man that self-righteousness also has its costs. … When we pretend we are holy, we are lying. When we pose as blameless in order to hurt other people, we are committing the greatest sin of all and we will be punished for it.”
And now, he is apparently working to dox his media critics.