Tucker Carlson and the real message of those Trump spanking comments

Divisive rhetoric and mean names seem par for the course when it comes to politics, especially in the modern era. But has the discourse gone too far?
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are ramping up their campaigns in the final days before the 2024 presidential election − making appearances with their high-profile supporters as they make their case for the presidency.
Most recently, President Joe Biden drew backlash for a comment perceived by some as calling Trump’s supporters “garbage,” and Trump’s rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden was criticized for several headline-making bigoted attacks.
Amid the vitriol, one divisive figure back in the spotlight is Tucker Carlson, who formerly hosted a show on Fox News. Carlson, who’s been on the campaign trail for Trump, recently garnered headlines at a Georgia rally for comments in which he likened Trump to a father coming home to spank his misbehaving teenage daughter, the country.
“He’s not vengeful. He loves his children, disobedient as they may be,” Carlson said. “When dad gets home, you know what he says? ‘You’ve been a bad girl. You’ve been a bad little girl, and you’re getting a vigorous spanking right now.’”
Carlson’s Oct. 23 comments were mocked by late-night hosts and decried by women on social media. Days later, he was on stage stumping for Trump at MSG. On Thursday, they’ll appear together in Arizona at a live event.
Given the tone this election has taken, Carlson’s continued star status isn’t all that surprising, explains Leora Tanenbaum, author of the forthcoming book “Sexy Selfie Nation: Standing Up For Yourself in Today’s Toxic, Sexist Culture.” Still, she says, this rhetoric on the campaign trail and our collective response (or lack thereof) sends a message to girls and women. Regardless of who is elected, Tanenbaum says, we should be paying attention.
“There has to be a point at which dad comes home,” Carlson said, to cheers from the crowd, before continuing his spanking metaphor. “It’s going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me, and you earned this. You’re getting a vigorous spanking, because you’ve been a bad girl.”
From the rally:Tucker Carlson compares Donald Trump to ‘dad’ who will deliver ‘vigorous spanking’ if elected
Carlson’s comments quickly drew criticism. “Does anyone else find this very creepy?” wrote one X user. “It’s all about control. Vote for your daughters,” wrote another.
The gendered nature of these comments, as well as Carlson’s continued involvement with the Trump campaign, send a powerful message to people across the country − particularly to women and girls.
“I get that he was speaking metaphorically, but his metaphor justifies violence against girls … ” Tanenbaum says. “This is terrifying language with real-world consequences.”
Tanenbaum notes Carlson’s comments are less surprising when you consider that Trump has been found guilty by a jury of sexual abuse and used graphic language about women on the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape.
“It should surprise no one that Carlson was asked to warm up the crowd,” Tanenbaum says. “These are the same rallies, by the way, where T-shirts calling Vice President Kamala Harris a ‘hoe’ are best-sellers.”
Republicans aren’t the only ones using divisive rhetoric, with Biden drawing criticism for comments in which he appeared to call Trump supporters “garbage.”
More:Biden sparks Republican backlash after appearing to swipe at Trump’s supporters
“He just called half the country garbage. Despicable,” wrote Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in a social media post. “It sounded like you called half the country garbage (in my) opinion,” one user wrote in reply to the president on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In a post on X later in the evening, Biden said he was referring to “the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter,” comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”
Also, throughout the campaign Harris has faced sexist attacks. Over the summer, former Fox News host Megyn Kelly accused Vice President Kamala Harris of “sleeping her way” into politics, and a Fox Business guest, in early July, referred to Harris as the “original Hawk Tuah girl,” spurring backlash.
According to women’s and gender studies experts, sexist language can be harmful to women across the political spectrum.
More:Kamala Harris, Megyn Kelly and why the sexist attacks are so dangerous
“The higher the political stakes, unfortunately, the lower people will sink in order to invalidate a candidate who is a woman,” Juliet Williams, a professor of gender studies at UCLA, previously told USA TODAY.
Attacks like this on Harris send a message to women that “if you want to be in the public sphere, you have to be willing to be subjected to degradation,” Williams said. Plus, reports have shown that comments like these perpetuate negative stereotypes and discourage young women from pursuing leadership roles.
According to Tanenbaum, the way we talk about women is bigger than politics. She says it’s important to denounce gendered, sexist language no matter your political persuasion or where these comments come from: “Decent people need to speak up loudly to denounce these comments not only in the next few days before Election Day but also afterward.”
Contributing: Alyssa Goldberg, Karissa, Waddick, Rachel Barber, David Jackson and Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY