Tuesday during his opening segment, Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson hammered those in the media that decried President Donald Trump’s absence from last Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Carlson took aim at several of the event’s speakers for not recognizing others beyond those that agree with them ideologically when it comes to defending the First Amendment.

“In case you weren’t invited, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner took place over the weekend,” Carlson said. “For the third year in a row, Donald Trump was invited but took a pass and didn’t show up. That has never happened in the long history of the dinner. Presidents always show up. They always show in a tuxedo and head downtown to suck up to the White House Correspondents’ Association. They don’t want to do that. They hate going — every one of them — all Presidents deeply despised the news media, but they make themselves go. They have no choice. It is a hostage situation.”

Carlson then took on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter.

Partial transcript as follows:

CARLSON: If you blow off the dinner, the press will punish you — guaranteed. They won’t admit it, of course, they won’t say it’s personal, they will make up some story. Here, for example, is Jeff Zucker’s spokesman, claiming that not going to media dinner is the same as attacking the media. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Say what you will about the press, this is an event honors the First Amendment. BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that’s what it’s about. It’s an awards dinner and a fund-raiser. In the past, Presidents have always shown up even if they were angry. The President would get in time. It is yet another example of what we are seeing. The administration’s attack against the media takes many forms. One form is the President having a rally this Saturday instead of attending the dinner. (END VIDEO CLIP) CARLSON: Dumb people are so self-confident. Have you noticed that? It’s almost like there is a self-esteem confidence reverse access. I think that’s real. Anyway, they are telling us that going to your own events instead of our event is a form of harassment. Do you know what’s not harassment according to CNN? Spying on former Fox reporter, James Rosen, and his parents because you don’t like what he is covering. The Obama administration actually did that, and then Obama went to eight separate White House Correspondents’ Association dinners. Nobody ever denounced him as immoral. Obama hated reporters, by the way, most people do hate reporters for good reason. But reporters loved him back anyway. They agreed with his politics. That’s what happens.

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