Former ABC News anchor Sam Donaldson on Tuesday slammed Fox News host Tucker Carlson, calling Carlson's derogatory comments about women, Muslims and others "hate speech."

"This is vulgarity. This is hate speech. This is homophobic speech. This is the kind of speech that if left unchecked, will change this country forever," Donaldson told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."

"This is vulgarity. This is hate speech. This is homophobic speech." Former ABC News anchor Sam Donaldson reacts to audio tapes of Fox News' Tucker Carlson. "This is the kind of speech, if left unchecked, will change this country forever," Donaldson adds. https://t.co/hemqMUsywb pic.twitter.com/ljcnXYQVbb — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) March 13, 2019

The liberal media watchdog group Media Matters this week has published several audio clips of comments Carlson made years ago on the "Bubba the Love Sponge" radio program.

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In one clip, Carlson suggested that rape shield laws are “totally unfair” and called women “extremely primitive.” In another clip, he said he would support a president who wanted to kill "lunatic Muslims."

Carlson has not apologized for the remarks, saying in a statement earlier this week that he would "never bow to the mob."

He also addressed the situation during his opening monologue Monday on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," calling it “a bewildering moment, especially when the quotes in question are more than a decade old.”

In his interview with Anderson Cooper, Donaldson dismissed Carlson's point that the comments were made years ago, saying that "it’s still important."

"Your character's still important," he added.

But Donaldson also predicted that Carlson would not lose his position at Fox News.

"He appeals to the Fox audience. He’s coming on strong. ... His audience is there, and they want the audience," Donaldson said, though he added that if Carlson's advertisers left him, he would be "toast."