Carlson slams South Africa’s defense of land reform: ‘Pure propaganda’

Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Thursday defended President Trump’s response to a segment on his show, saying the reaction from South Africa was “pure propaganda.”

Carlson told The Hill that he was “really grateful” the president brought attention to his report on land seizures in South Africa, despite the country’s pushback this week.

Carlson in the Tuesday segment charged that the South African government was racist, telling The Hill on Thursday that “proposing to take people’s land away not because these people have committed crimes but because those people are the wrong color” is “totally wrong.”

Trump then tagged the Fox News host on Wednesday in a tweet saying he was directing his administration to look into “the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers.”

The South African parliament is currently discussing means of land expropriation without compensation, according to Reuters. Violent land seizures have not been reported.

The South African government responded to Trump, tweeting that, “South Africa totally rejects this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past.”

“South Africa will speed up the pace of land reform in a careful and inclusive manner that does not divide our nation,” the government added in a subsequent tweet.

South Africa totally rejects this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past. #landexpropriation @realDonaldTrump @PresidencyZA

— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) August 23, 2018

South Africa will speed up the pace of land reform in a careful and inclusive manner that does not divide our nation. #landexpropriation @realDonaldTrump @PresidencyZA

— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) August 23, 2018

{mosads}

“That’s just pure propaganda. It’s totally dishonest. Seeks to divide? If there are South African farm owners who committed fines or stole their land, the land should be taken from them immediately and given to the rightful owners,” Carlson fired back in conversation with The Hill. “But that’s not what they’re talking about. They’re proposing to take people’s land away not because these people have committed crimes but because those people are the wrong color.”

In 1994, the South African government implemented a policy after apartheid ended that permits the government to purchase white-owned farms for redistribution to black citizens when the seller is willing to cooperate.

Last month, however, leaders in the ruling government party announced plans to amend the country’s constitution to allow land to be confiscated without compensation. Methods for such confiscation, and what lands would qualify, are still under debate.

“The reason apartheid was bad in the first place is because the government persecuted people on the basis of their race,” Carlson argued. “That was the whole reason that the U.S. government correctly opposed apartheid. Thank heaven they did. And so to see the replacement for apartheid doing the same thing. I don’t know why everyone wouldn’t be offended by that.”

Whites in South Africa hold an estimated 72 percent of individual-owned farms in the country but comprise of about 9 percent of the population.

According to Reuters, 47 farmers were killed in South Africa 2017 and 2018. The outlet notes that farm killings are at a 20-year low.

“If my house gets broken into, I don’t want someone who looks like the burglar to be arrested and imprisoned,” Carlson added. “I want the burglar to be arrested and imprisoned. I don’t want the children of the burglar to be arrested and imprisoned. They didn’t do it. It’s literally that simple. And no one has been able to explain why it’s not that simple: Why racism is wrong except sometimes it’s right because, why?”

The president often tweets about segments he agrees with on Fox News, particularly during the early morning and evening hours when watching “Fox & Friends” and “Hannity.”

Trump has hired several ex-Fox pundits, contributors and hosts since taking office, including John Bolton, Heather Nauert, Anthony Scaramucci, Sebastian Gorka, Mercedes Schlapp, Tony Sayegh, Scott Brown and Richard Grenell, among others.