Fox News host Tucker Carlson
Tucker CarlsonHow critical race theory became today's defining culture-war issue Tucker Carlson on running for president: 'I guess if like I was the last person on Earth' New York Times: Tucker Carlson a source for many journalists MORE on Tuesday night lashed out at a guest who corrected his pronunciation of Sen. Kamala Harris
Kamala HarrisA call to action for strategic space competition with China Old-guard Democrats must end the filibuster and symbolic progress Biden job approval at 43 percent in Iowa: poll MORE’s (D-Calif.) name after she was named presumptive Democrat nominee Joe Biden
Joe BidenBaltimore police chief calls for more 'boots on the ground' to handle crime wave Biden to deliver remarks at Sen. John Warner's funeral Garland dismisses broad review of politicization of DOJ under Trump MORE’s running mate.
Richard Goodstein, a Democratic strategist and former adviser to Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonThe Memo: Some Democrats worry rising crime will cost them The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Democrats await Manchin decision on voting rights bill Supreme Court battle could wreak havoc with Biden's 2020 agenda MORE, appeared on Carlson’s show and offered up advice for the Fox News host and his colleagues.
“Her name is pronounced ‘Comma’ — like the punctuation mark — ‘la,’” Goodstein said. “Seriously, I’ve heard every sort of bastardization of that. That’s how it is. ‘Comma-la.’”
“OK,” Carlson said with a knitted brow. “So what?”
“I think out of respect for somebody who’s going to be on the national ticket,” Goldstein responded. “Pronouncing her name right is actually kind of a bare minimum.”
“So I’m disrespecting her by mispronouncing her name unintentionally? So it begins,” Carlson said with a grin before mispronouncing the senator’s first name two more times. “You’re not allowed to criticize ‘Ka-MAL-a’ or ‘KAM-a-la’ or whatever it is—"
“No, no, no. It’s not ‘whatever,’” Goodstein fired back.
“Look, I unintentionally mispronounced her name,” Carlson said, before claiming that Harris is not “immune from criticism.”
“On this show,” he added, “nobody in power is immune from criticism. Our political leaders must be held to account — that’s our job.”
The clip of the exchange went viral on Twitter, garnering more than 1.3 million views, with Carlson's critics promptly weighing in.
Tucker Carlson loses it when a guest corrects his pronunciation of Kamala Harris's name pic.twitter.com/1fHIrPGuwN
— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) August 12, 2020
Screenwriter and television producer Warren Leight wrote: “Refusing to pronounce Kamala’s name correctly when you’re a broadcast « journalist » is racist. But we already knew that about Tucker.”
Touré, host of “the “Touré Show” podcast, wrote in a series of tweets that as a professional in broadcasting, Carlson is required to pronounce people’s names correctly.
Tucker, You’re not “criticizing" Kamala or "holding her to account” when you refuse to learn how to pronounce her name. Tucker’s not the only significant media figure who “struggles" with pronouncing her name. It’s disrespectful. And it’s purposeful. https://t.co/vmd8hQ0GWa
— Touré (@Toure) August 12, 2020
Charlotte Clymer, a former spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, noted that Harris's name has been in the news for several years.
"Tucker Carlson's brain saw a woman of color and had to make the name difficult. That's what happened," she wrote.
Like, okay, putting aside that everyone and their cousin has heard the name "Kamala" a million times over the several years, it's such an easy to pronounce phonetically. Tucker Carlson's brain saw a woman of color and had to make the name difficult. That's what happened.
— Charlotte Clymer ️ (@cmclymer) August 12, 2020
Former Rep. Joe Walsh
Joe WalshJoe Walsh says radio show canceled due to Trump criticism The Memo: What now for anti-Trump Republicans? GOP lawmakers mourn death of Rush Limbaugh MORE (R-Ill.), a former GOP presidential candidate, wrote that Carlson is “really, really angry” that Harris was selected as the vice presidential pick and “really, really scared to death of her.”
Because I wanted a good laugh, I just watched the first few minutes of @TuckerCarlson. All I can tell you is that Tucker is really, really angry Kamala Harris is the VP pick, and he’s really, really scared to death of her.
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) August 12, 2020
Biden on Tuesday ended months of speculation and announced Harris, one of his former presidential primary opponents, as his vice presidential pick.
Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent, would be the first woman and the first person of color to be vice president if Biden is elected.
She is currently the only Black female senator and previously served as attorney general of California.
During her Senate campaign in 2016, Harris released a video of children pronouncing her name correctly.
People pronounce my name many different ways. Let #KidsForKamala show you how it’s done. pic.twitter.com/7QoQGN0B4k
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) May 24, 2016
