If I had to describe CNN host Brian Stelter in one word to anyone who had never watched the man’s show, ‘weird’ is the first thing that comes to mind. Stelter is this seriously awkward rating junky who generally operates like a mad hatter obsessed with one subject at a time. He makes uncomfortable comments and videos that he claims make him seem more comfortable.
Like the many at CNN, Stelter’s ratings are in the dumpster now that he doesn’t have Trump to report on daily. It’s not that they don’t try to continue to cover Donald Trump, he just isn’t currently giving them the material they need to create a narrative or spin on a ‘hot new story’.
In what looks like an attempt to find something to talk about Stelter has created a new obsession- Tucker Carlson. Stelter claims that Tucker is the new ‘Trump’ on went on a full-blown rant about why he feels that way:
“Tucker has taken Trump’s place as a right-wing leader, as an outrage generator, as a fire-starter, and it’s all happening on Fox, just like Trump’s campaign did,” said Stelter.
“Which means Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch are ultimately responsible,” Stelter continued, adding his trademark overdramatic ‘serious’ face. “I mean think about all the ways these two men are similar. Every day, Carlson is throwing bombs, making online memes, offending millions of people, also delighting millions of others, tapping into white male rage and resentment. Stoking distrust of Big Tech and the media, generally coarsening the discourse, never apologizing for anything, and setting the GOP’s agenda. Sounds like a recently retired president, right?”
Let’s look at Carlson and Trump’s similarities for a moment.
Well, I guess they both have hair? Which is more than we can say for the CNN host. Carlson cares about some of the same issues that Trump supports- so there is that. However, Carlson is a host on a major Conservative news network so we kind of expect him to support Conservative values. Don’t we? Neither Trump nor Carlson are politicians so there is one strong connection?
Watch
Tucker Carlson is the new Donald Trump. Tucker has taken Trump's place as a right-wing leader, an outrage generator, a fire-starter… pic.twitter.com/y8OzdAlSlN
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 14, 2021
The fact that the host targeted Carlson just shows how badly the Network needed Trump to keep viewers interested. Point blank, CNN has been hemorrhaging viewers since Trump left office losing around 50% of their viewers. People like Stelter are soon to be fighting to keep their jobs as the network’s value continues to drop.
This is what happens when you terraform your platform to force your entire base to focus on one subject for 4 years. CNN’s targeted attacks on Trump are like begging for rain and crying when it storms. They wanted him out, and now that their cash-cow is gone- they’re lost.