Sure enough, Carlson and Patel’s piece is almost a roadmap to Republicans on how to save Trump from impeachment. It argues that “the left” has been trying to impeach Trump since he was inaugurated, that the whistleblower -- and the entire effort -- is politically motivated, and that House intelligence committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) started the inquiry process by lying.

These defenses -- spin, some might call them -- follow a pattern of misdirection that Carlson has long used to play both sides of the media and cautiously echoes the fiercer rhetoric Carlson has been spewing on his nightly show since the scandal and subsequent impeachment inquiry began. Carlson has attacked Democrats as “unhinged” for showing concern about the scandal, citing two-year-old prank calls to Schiff; called Schiff “demonstrably mentally ill”; mocked anyone who called the scandal a national security issue; criticized the unknown intelligence community whistleblower as politically motivated; and even attacked the media for covering the impeachment story at all.

Journalists would be wise to remember Carlson has a prime-time show on Fox where he speaks for an hour every weeknight. His seemingly more moderate piece and the unhinged comments he makes on his nightly show are all in the service of the same overall goal: to defend Trump at all cost.