Tucker Carlson under fire for comments about statutory rape and refuses to apologise for calling women 'primitive'

'I'm on television every weeknight live for an hour. If you want to know what I think, you can watch'

(Getty Images for Politicon)

Fox News host Tucker Carlson has refused to apologise for comments he made on a new unearthed radio programme.

Progressive media watchdog Media Matters for America published recordings from Carlson’s shock jock show Bubba the Love Sponge, which originally aired from 2006 to 2011.

In a statement, Carlson said: “Media Matters caught me saying something naughty on a radio show more than a decade ago. Rather than express the usual ritual contrition, how about this: I’m on television every weeknight live for an hour. If you want to know what I think, you can watch. Anyone who disagrees with my views is welcome to come on and explain why.”

The recordings, which see Carlson cover a wide range of topics, include a clip from 2007 in which he compares women to dogs, adding: “They’re extremely primitive, they’re basic, they’re not that hard to understand. And one of the things they hate more than anything is weakness in a man.”

On the subject of having political discussions with women, he said in 2006: “You just need to be quiet and kind of do what you’re told.”

The host also made controversial comments about statutory rape while defending Warren Jeffs, who, in 2009, was awaiting trial on sex crime charges in relation to a polygamist cult, that allegedly arranged marriages between adult men and underage girls. The case was eventually dismissed after two alleged victims backed out of testifying. In 2011, he was convicted on two counts of child sexual assault and sentenced to life in prison.

“The rapist, in this case, has made a lifelong commitment to live and take care of the person, so it is a little different. I mean, let’s be honest about it,” Carlson said. “Here’s my point: If a guy wants to be polygamist, that’s kind of his business.”

After he was questioned about the age of the children involved, he responded: “He’s not accused of touching anybody; he is accused of facilitating a marriage between a 16-year-old girl and a 27-year-old man. That’s the accusation. That’s what they’re calling felony rape. [crosstalk] That’s bulls***. I’m sorry. Now this guy may be [crosstalk], may be a child rapist, I’m just telling you that arranging a marriage between a 16-year-old and a 27-year-old is not the same as pulling a stranger off the street and raping her.”

“It’s disgusting! I think the religion is ridiculous, I think it’s a cult, I think it’s totally immoral. But that’s not the point,” he continued. “The question is, two questions – one: Is this guy one of the top 10 most dangerous people in America? The answer is no, unequivocally no. And two: If you’re, like, for the government butting out of the bedroom and for gay marriage, and for the right of strip clubs to operate unimpeded by governments – how exactly can you be against polygamy? On what grounds are you against polygamy? I don’t get that.”

The show host talks about Tucker Carlson’s 14-year-old daughter and girls her age at school sexually experimenting with each other. Mr Carlson responds: “If it weren’t my daughter I would love that scenario.”

In 2010, he said of now Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan: “I don’t like [Kagan] and I wouldn’t vote to confirm her if I were a US senator. But I do feel sorry for her in that way. I feel sorry for unattractive women. I mean it’s nothing they did. You know, she didn’t. Nobody deserves that.” In 2006, he called TV host Alexis Stewart “extremely c****” and called Ariana Huffington “a pig”.