Fox News Channel blasted leftists bent on stifling free speech in a fiery statement defending Tucker Carlson after an insurance company pulled its advertising during his show.

The network called out the “unfortunate and unnecessary distractions” caused by “left wing advocacy groups” virtue-signaling once again in knee-jerk reactions.

The controversy began when Carlson’s observations about immigration caused Pacific Life insurance company to announce it would temporarily yank its advertising during “Tucker Carlson Tonight” because they “strongly disagree” with the host. And because leftists – again – took to weaponizing social media after someone dared to speak truth and disagree with their narrative.

“Our leaders demand that you shut up and accept this,” Carlson said on his Fox News show on Thursday, as he discussed the economic impact of illegal immigration on the U.S. and the attitude of some leaders about it.

“We have a moral obligation to admit the world’s poor, they tell us, even if it makes our own country poorer, and dirtier, and more divided,” he said in his monologue. “Immigration is a form of atonement. Previous leaders of our country committed sins; we must pay for those sins by welcoming an endless chain of migrant caravans. That’s the argument they make.”

Carlson noted that the “immigration-as atonement idea” has somehow “become the official position of virtually every guilty liberal in the United States.”

“Our tech overlords, the ones always lecturing you, corporate America, Nancy Pelosi and Paul Ryan—they all believe this, and anyone who disagrees with them is denounced as a bigot and fired,” he added.

Immediately following Carlson’s monologue, a Pacific Life advertisement aired touting that the company has been “protecting generations of families for 150 years.”

Cue the outrage.

Last night on Fox News:

—Stephen Miller used the tragic death of a 7 y/o migrant girl in DHS custody to push Trump’s border wall

—Sean Hannity did as well

—Tucker Carlson said immigration makes America “poorer, and dirtier, and more divided” Tell advertisers to drop Fox News now https://t.co/D2uXXsPY2j — Melanie Fineman (@mnfineman) December 14, 2018

Fierce online backlash erupted as liberals blasted Carlson for saying that immigrants are making America “dirtier,” and prompted a call for boycotts.

Pacific Life obliged, issuing a statement declaring they were pulling advertising on the show as they looked to “reevaluate” their relationship with the nightly program.

A message from Pacific Life: pic.twitter.com/bDq9hzia53 — Pacific Life (@pacificlife) December 14, 2018

There didn’t seem to be any companies lining up to make a similar decision as MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski asked if Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was just “a wannabe-dictator’s butt boy,” but that should not surprise anyone.

Michael Avenatti, whom Carlson nicknamed the “creepy porn lawyer,” joined the left’s clamoring and called on Fox News to fire the “unethical racist hack.”

I am glad to see that others are starting to see what an unethical racist hack @TuckerCarlson is. He should be FIRED immediately. Now! https://t.co/HzqrpOMPAi — Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) December 14, 2018

Of course, the move by Pacific Life just wasn’t enough for some on the left.

This … is a good start. Thank you @pacificlife for paying attention. Perhaps the whole network needs a review. https://t.co/nZCGzCYnrn — Jeff Shuey (@jshuey) December 14, 2018

Hopefully others will follow. Many prominent brands highlight their commitment to diversity and inclusion, and yet underwrite the bigoted crap Tucker Carlson spews nightly. I’m curious what other brands advertise on his show? https://t.co/RWbcx6OK0b — Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) December 15, 2018

Fox News rose to the defense of its host and freedom of speech everywhere in a scathing counter-statement.

“It is a shame that left-wing advocacy groups, under the guise of being supposed ‘media watchdogs’ weaponize social media against companies in an effort to stifle free speech. We continue to stand by and work with our advertisers through these unfortunate and unnecessary distractions,” the statement read, according to The Hill.

The Washington Post’s Cheryl Chumley called out the left’s hypocrisy in an op-ed Thursday following Brzezinski’s tasteless and vulgar comment.

“A Brzezinski by a different name, by a different political party, by a different cable employer, just wouldn’t be employed this morning,” she wrote. “As it is, the left’s silence — the fact that a David Hogg-type hasn’t surfaced to demand a boycott — only shows the left’s hypocrisy.”

Though Chumley’s piece was published before Carlson’s monologue later that evening, her points still resonate.

“And much as she apologized, fact is: If Brzezinski were named, say, Tucker Carlson, or Sean Hannity, or Laura Ingraham, today’s mainstream media would be filled with expressions of outrage,” Chumley noted. “David Hogg would be calling for boycotts and firings. Joy Behar would be tit-tittering away and slamming the oh-so-despicable deplorables of Fox News. But this is MSNBC and this is Brzezinski, and after all, she has apologized — so free pass it is. Right?”

Many Twitter users were not willing to offer that free pass after Pacific Life caved to liberal meltdowns.

We absolutely Agree with Tucker Carlson,Go look along the border and see what a mess there is there…#TuckerCarlson is Absolutely Correct!! — GG (@GG13462575) December 15, 2018

Tucker Carlson is right. Pacific Life Fake Outrage. Lol — John Taylor (@JohTaylor2014) December 15, 2018

If Tucker Carlson had used the same language as Mika Brzezinski, there’d be a wall to wall campaign to get him fired. — Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) December 14, 2018

Shame on you. Tucker Carlson is 100% correct. These illegals bring in unchecked disease and infect others in the country. I guess pacific life is just a closed minded company when it comes to opposing views and only care about being pc. SHAME!! Won’t do business with you — Jason Moran (@jay_7622) December 15, 2018

Where is your bandwagon for boycotting @morningmika for homophobic slurs? Who advertises on her show? Or do slutty liberals who carry on an affair on TV get a pass? Or is it any lib who demeans anyone in the Trump admin who gets the pass? Selective outrage is same as no outrage! — Red Rose Lane (@rulefollower) December 15, 2018

Tucker’s just telling the truth that some want to turn a blind eye to. — southern sense (@Tremac8) December 15, 2018