Carlson Does a 180, Blasts Masks as 'Bizarre Health Theater'

A lot can change in three months. For Tucker Carlson, that change has come in the form of a big reversal on coronavirus safety measures. In a segment Tuesday on Tucker Carlson Tonight, the Fox News host was discussing the topic of schools reopening amid the pandemic, rueing the fact that face coverings and social distancing will likely be required in most cases. "Students will be kept 6 feet apart, everyone will have to wear a mask, class size will be limited," he noted of the "series of restrictions that have no basis of any kind in science," per the Daily Beast. He added: "It's a kind of bizarre health theater." In a show that aired March 30, however, Carlson had this to say: "Of course, masks work. Everyone knows that. Dozens of research papers have proved it. In South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, the rest of Asia—where coronavirus has been kept under control—masks were key."

Per Newsweek, Carlson's most recent take is the wrong one, with both the CDC and the World Health Organization saying that methods such as social distancing and face masks are key to not spreading the virus. While it hasn't been determined to what degree face coverings can protect wearers, a "growing body of research" shows that face masks can at least help keep a wearer with the virus from spreading it. "It would be inaccurate to claim that there is no scientific basis for the current COVID-19 guidelines," the magazine notes. Meanwhile, per the New York Times and Yahoo, Tuesday also saw Carlson doubling down on his recent attacks on Sen. Tammy Duckworth, this time calling her a "coward" and a "moron." (Trump says his administration will pressure governors to reopen schools.)