Tucker Carlson’s criticism of Janet Yellen backfired after he said a video of her comments was from 2007 when it actually was from 2017, leading to commentators accusing him of lying.
“This is not the first time she’s been wrong. Here she was in 2007, one year before the Great Recession,” said the Fox News host, before playing a clip of the Treasury Secretary that clearly mentioned it was from 2017.
“Our mistake, that was 2017,” Carlson said as soon as the clip ended.
On social media, commentators lashed out at the Fox anchor.
“How could Tucker realise it was 2017 and not 2007 while the clip was running? He knew it was 2017 when he ran it and must have lied on purpose,” wrote one user.
“Tucker Carlson admits lying to the public, I don’t understand how any conservative could believe a thing that this grifter says,” wrote another user.
“Decade saving time,” quipped another user.
The treasury secretary on Thursday told the Senate Finance Committee that the US banking system was “sound” and Americans could feel “confident” about their deposits in the wake of the second-largest bank collapse in US history late last week.
This was the first appearance by an administration official at the Capitol after Joe Biden said the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation would protect uninsured money at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, a move some observers criticised as a “bailout”.
Speaking at the outset of a hearing to examine Mr Biden’s budget request for the Treasury during the next fiscal year, Ms Yellen said the decision showed the administration’s “resolve” to maintain American confidence in the country’s financial system.
“The government took decisive and forceful actions to strengthen public confidence” in the US banking system, Ms Yellen said. “I can reassure the members of the Committee that our banking system remains sound, and that Americans can feel confident that their deposits will be there when they need them.”
