Tucker Carlson and Mike Pence clash in heated exchange over Ukraine at GOP 2024 forum
Former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson on Friday appeared to lose his patience with former vice president Mike Pence after the 2024 presidential candidate refused to back down from his support for arming Ukraine’s defence forces. Mr Pence and Carlson, who spoke for approximately 26 minutes as part of a GOP candidate forum in Iowa sponsored by Blaze Media and the Family Leader social conservative organisation, spent roughly half of their discussion sparring over Mr Pence’s view of the nearly 18-month-old war, which the ex-vice president described in stark terms based on his two visits to the region. The ex-Fox News host, who before his firing in April used his prime time programme to rail against US support for Kyiv while frequently parroting Russian government talking points, attempted to bait Mr Pence into denouncing the Ukrainian government for what he described as mistreatment of Christians. Carlson was referring to a series of actions by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who since the start of the war has imposed internal economic sanctions on a number of clergy from the Russia-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The UOC is an offshoot of the pro-Kremlin Russian Orthodox Church, which is headed by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who according to Forbes was listed in Soviet archives as an agent of the KGB. After the former television presenter accused Mr Zelensky of having “raided convents, arrested priests [and] effectively banned[ing] a denomination,” Mr Pence replied that he had “raised that issue” with the head of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, who he said had “assured” him that Mr Zelensky’s government “was respecting religious liberty even while recognising that they were very small elements of the Russian Orthodox Church that were being utilised for the purpose of advancing the Russian cause in Ukraine”. “The leader of the church at St Michael's in Kyiv told me personally that he he believed that this Zelensky government was respecting religious liberty, and I must tell you, other than the sanctity of life, there's no higher priority in my life than preserving the freedom of religion in America and championing religious liberty around the world,” he said. Carlson, who became rather irate at Mr Pence’s answer, asked the former vice president how “a Christian leader” such as himself “could support the arrest of Christians for having different views,” at which point Mr Pence said the church leader he’d spoken to in Kyiv had “assured [him]” that no one in Ukraine was being persecuted for their religious beliefs. The fired Fox presenter became yet more flustered when Mr Pence launched into a full-throated defence of American and European efforts to arm Ukraine’s defence forces, telling Carlson that what he’d seen during his visits there was “not just evidence of war” but of “evil”. After Mr Pence said he believes it is in American interests to continue supporting Ukraine, Carlson began to raise his voice and accuse Mr Pence of “plodding over” the “treatment of Christians” there. The former vice president interjected, telling Carlson: “The problem is you won’t accept my answer!” “I just told you that I asked the religious leader in Kyiv if it was happening, you asked me if I raised the issue, and I did. And I'm saying I also raised it with the Ukrainians, and I was told that there are there are religious leaders who have been working with the Russian military that is murdering people by the thousands,” he said. Read More Ukraine tells ‘clown’ Tucker Carlson to check his facts after pro-Kremlin rant in first Twitter show Tucker Carlson calls Ukraine’s Jewish leader ‘rat-like’ as he launches new Twitter show with pro-Kremlin rant Tucker Carlson receives a job offer from Russian state TV after Fox News firing Tucker Carlson doesn’t know why he was fired from Fox News but suggests his views on Ukraine were a ‘red line’ Volodymyr Zelensky: Year of tragedy and turmoil that turned comedian president into ‘Ukraine’s Churchill’ The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
1970-01-01 08:00
George Clooney says entertainment industry is at an 'inflection point,' as actors like Jason Sudeikis join picket lines
Oscar winner George Clooney has joined the chorus of artists calling for change as actors hit the picket lines in their first strike against film and television studios since 1980.
1970-01-01 08:00
Is Rex Heuermann friends with Alec Baldwin? Gilgo Beach murder suspect attended the same school as the Hollywood actor
Rex Heuermann and his brother Craig attended Berner High and graduated five years after Alec Baldwin in 1981
1970-01-01 08:00
Will James Cameron direct Titan sub TV series? Filmmaker reportedly 'in talks' with major streaming network
'The Titan disaster is already being looked at as a major series for one of the world's biggest streamers,' said a source
1970-01-01 08:00
Pianist André Watts dies at age 77 of prostate cancer
Pianist André Watts, whose televised debut with the New York Philharmonic as a 16-year-old in 1963 launched an international career of more than a half-century, has died
1970-01-01 08:00
Trump prosecutors met with Pennsylvania and New Mexico officials in 2020 election probe
Federal prosecutors under supervision of Special Counsel Jack Smith have reportedly spoken with top election officials in Pennsylvania and New Mexico as part of the Justice Department probe into Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election. According to CNN, Mr Smith’s team has in recent months conducted interviews of Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt and New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, with both officials providing information on “matters related to the 2020 election”. Mr Schmidt, who spoke with prosecutors in March, is a Republican who served as a Philadelphia City Commissioner during the 2020 election. He was named to his current post by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. CNN reported that prosecutors questioned Mr Schmidt about issues he encountered during the post-election period in 2020, including how he was impacted by misinformation about alleged voter fraud spread by Mr Trump and his allies. Last June, he told the now-defunct House January 6 select committee that he became the target of a slew of death threats from the then-president’s supporters after Mr Trump began attacking him in a series of tweets “became much more specific, much more graphic” after the then-president called him a “RINO” and a “disaster on the massive election fraud and irregularities which took place in Philadelphia”. The special counsel’s team has been speaking with election officials in swing states won by President Joe Biden in his 2020 contest with Mr Trump as part of their probe into the twice-impeached, now twice-indicted ex-president’s effort to remain in office against the will of voters. CNN also reported that Mr Smith’s team has sent subpoenas to officials in all seven of the states — Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada, Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — that were targeted by Mr Trump as he sought to reverse his losses to Mr Biden in each jurisdiction. Mr Smith and his team has also met with the top election officials from Michigan and Georgia, Jocelyn Benson and Brad Raffensperger. In an interview with the network, Ms Benson said prosecutors she spoke to appeared to be focused on how misinformation spread by Mr Trump’s allies affected election workers, as well as the “threats that emerged from that from various sources”. Read More Special counsel issues criminal warning to Trump Organization employee over alleged obstruction, report says Prosecutors say there is ‘no reason’ to delay Trump documents trial until after 2024 election Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks have testified in front of grand jury investigating Jan 6, reports say
1970-01-01 08:00
Fran Drescher's journey from 'The Nanny' to Hollywood union boss
The character that made her famous also foreshadowed Fran Drescher's biggest role yet.
1970-01-01 08:00
Demi Lovato says she still struggles with vision and hearing impairment after 2018 overdose
Demi Lovato has opened up about the lasting health struggles she continues to face following her 2018 overdose. The “Sorry Not Sorry” singer recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, where she revealed that her near-fatal overdose left her with vision and hearing impairment. “I wouldn’t change my path because I don’t have any regrets,” she told host Andy Cohen on Wednesday 12 July. “The closest thing that I get to a regret is when I overdosed and I wish somebody had told me, one, that I was beautiful, because I didn’t believe it,” Lovato shared. “And two, I wish that someone would’ve told me that if you just sit with the pain, it passes.” “That overdose caused me a lot of - it actually caused a disability. I have vision impairment and hearing impairment to this day,” the 30-year-old singer said, even admitting that she doesn’t drive anymore due to “blind spots in [her] vision”. However, the Disney Channel alum went on to explain how the lasting effects of her overdose are a “daily constant reminder” throughout her sobriety journey. “Anytime I look at something - like, I have blind spots in my vision when I look at your face,” Lovato told Cohen. “And so it’s a constant reminder to stay on the right path, because I never want that to happen again.” In July 2018, Demi Lovato was rushed to the hospital after suffering “complications” from a reported overdose. She had previously celebrated six years of being sober. In her YouTube documentary series, Dancing with the Devil, which was released in March 2021, Lovato revealed that she became addicted to meth, heroin, and crack cocaine in the weeks before her overdose. “I’m surprised I didn’t OD that night,” she shared in the docuseries. “I just went to town. I went on a shopping spree. That night I did drugs I’d never done before. I’d never done meth before, I tried meth. I mixed it with [ecstasy], with coke, weed, alcohol, oxycontin. And that alone should have killed me.” Two weeks later, she added, she was “introduced to heroin and crack cocaine”. Lovato suffered three strokes and a heart attack during her overdose, leaving her with permanent brain damage. Lovato has been very open about her sobriety journey and mental health struggles. When the “Skyscraper” singer was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2011, Lovato shared that the diagnosis provided her with a sense of “relief” because she had spent “so many years struggling” with her mental health. “I was so relieved that I had finally had a diagnosis,” Lovato said at the Hollywood & Mind Summit in Los Angeles last May. “I had spent so many years struggling, and I didn’t know why I was a certain way in dealing with depression at such extreme lows, when I seemingly had the world in front of me just ripe with opportunities.” Lovato is now fully sober after initially adopting a “California sober” approach that involved marijuana and alcohol in moderation. “I no longer support my ‘California sober’ ways,” the singer said in an Instagram Story in December 2021. “Sober sober is the only way to be.” Read More Demi Lovato changed pronouns because explaining They/Them to people was ‘absolutely exhausting’ Demi Lovato explains why she was ‘relieved’ to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder Demi Lovato reveals she used opiates for first time at 13 Marina Diamandis says she has been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome Should I keep my windows closed or open during a heatwave? How to sleep during hot weather, according to experts
1970-01-01 08:00
What to stream this weekend: 'Asteroid City,' Lukas Nelson, 'Quarterback' and 'Secrets of Playboy'
This week’s new entertainment releases include albums from Lukas Nelson and Kool & The Gang, the return of the silly, witty, Emmy-nominated comedy “What We Do in the Shadows” and Wes Anderson’s stylish and star-studded “Asteroid City” comes to premium video on demand
1970-01-01 08:00
Q&A: Sally Potter has made films for 50 years. Now in her 70s, she's out with a debut album
After 50 years behind the camera as a successful director, Sally Potter has kickstarted a music career
1970-01-01 08:00
Harry Kane is put to the test during 'Hot Ones' appearance - but how did he do?
Harry Kane was the latest guest to appear on First We Feast's Hot Ones challenge and proved he could handle the heat off the pitch. The YouTube show sees host Sean Evans interview celebrity guests. During each question, both he and a guest eat a chicken wing that has been coated in different hot sauces, with the Scoville level (the heat or spiciness) increasing each time. Some of the previous celebrity guests include Jennifer Lawrence, Gordon Ramsay, Florence Pugh, and Noel Gallagher. In the latest episode, host Evans began by asking the England captain how he is around spicy food, to which Kane admitted that he's "not great," adding that "it's not something [he] normally [has] a lot". The first wing had a Scoville level of 1,600 which Kane ate with ease and said it was "not too bad," as Evans asked the footballer about his record-breaking season, scoring over 30 goals and becoming England's all-time leading goal scorer. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Kane described the latter achievement as a "dream come true," before having a slight cough and reaching for a glass of milk - was the spice getting to him already? Harry Kane Takes One For the Team While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones www.youtube.com Next up was a wing with a Scoville level of 6,000 and to Kane's surprise he found this one "a little easier". "I do like a curry back home in England, so I'm quite familiar with that taste," he told Evans, appearing more confident in his ability to handle the spice. For the wings with a Scoville level of 15,500, 36,500, and then 49,000, followed by 71,000 and 103,000, Kane took them in his stride, with some coughs, a runny nose and sips of milk along the way. Then came "Da Bomb," hot sauce at a Scoville level of 135,600 which a nervous Kane commented: "I've heard about this. I've just heard it's brutal. Unenjoyable." Though it didn't stop the Tottenham player from taking a bite, before telling Evans that it was "not nice," and "disgusting," and added that he could have the other sauces he's tried with food, but not with "Da Bomb". Despite the discomfort, Kane continued on to eat wings that had a Scoville level of 641,000 before finally making it to the final wing where he join in the tradition of dabbing an extra bit of sauce on the wing. Going straight for it, the footballer noted how the heat "straight up [his] nose". Footy fans loved seeing Kane on Hot Ones and in the comments praised performance for making it to the end. One person said: "Never in a million years did I think I'd see Harry Kane on this show, but I'm all here for it." "Let's be real he surprised every single one of us after seeing his reaction to the first wing. Respect," another person wrote. Someone else added: "Harry seems so wholesome!! And handled the hot sauces so well for someone who doesn't appear to eat much hot sauce." "One of the best episodes ever! Big bites, no complaints and a good talk," a fourth person commented. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
'Deadpool 3' halts production due to SAG-AFTRA strike
Marvel's Deadpool 3 is the first major film shoot to shut down due to the
1970-01-01 08:00
