Tucker Carlson Begrudgingly Announces Donald Trump's Impeachment

"Over on the other channels, Jeff Zucker and his friends are hyperventilating," the Fox News host said.

Fox News opinion host Tucker Carlson wanted to make a distinction between his network's coverage of Wednesday night's successful House impeachment vote and competitor CNN's coverage.

"Over on the other channels, Jeff Zucker and his friends are hyperventilating," Carlson said of the CNN Worldwide president.

But Carlson was forced to acknowledge that a majority of the House voted to impeach Trump. "There it is," he said. "You see they have the votes. ... The first count of impeachment is official. The Democrats are happy about that. There you go. The first article of impeachment is in. It's official." (The second article also passed.)

"We're treating this like it's a momentous occasion," Carlson said. "Maybe we're playing into the propaganda narrative a little bit." (Earlier in the show, he said of impeachment: "I regret my personal role in hyping this story.")

Fox News host Sean Hannity, who attacked "the media mob" and "the deep state," said of the impeachment vote: "It is nothing but a revolting charade based on nothing. ... What we've been witnessing all day and night is nothing but political theater. Americans know a sham and a witch hunt when they see it."

At the beginning of his show, Carlson told his large audience that "what's happening in D.C. tonight is a disgrace." After showing House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, Carlson cut away and said, "Yeah, that's enough of that for right now."

Carlson had a more news-based discussion with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, whom he called "one of the few news guys left in this country."

While Carlson agreed with Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume that Trump doesn't want to be impeached, he said the president is not "rattled," but instead is "nonplussed."

Hume, though, said there is "little public interest" in impeachment. "We're hearing how our national security was compromised," he added. "Really?"

Fox News anchor Dana Perino framed the president's impeachment as a potential boon to his campaign. "The president is in much better shape after impeachment than before," she said, though she cautioned Republicans against thinking that Trump's re-election will be a slam dunk.

Later in the show, Carlson cut away from an interview to take a live feed of Trump's political rally in Michigan. "The president is back on impeachment, and we want to get that live," he said.

On CNN, anchor Jake Tapper called the impeachment vote "a moment of immense gravity, solemnity and history," while MSNBC host Chris Hayes said the House's action against Trump is "the first time in the man's life that he is facing any concrete judgment on the nature of his behavior."