‘Racist lunatic’: Twitter lights up over Tucker Carlson’s diabolical laugh

Clip of Fox News host’s maniacal cackle goes viral and garners millions of views with social media users calling it ‘scary,’ ‘unhinged,’ and ‘unsettling’

Twitter had a field day with Tucker Carlson's reaction to Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict in the murder trial of George Floyd.

As he was speaking to former New York City corrections official Ed Gavin, Mr Carlson gave off a strange, high-pitched laugh before abruptly ending the interview.

The chuckle prompted countless reactions on Twitter, including comparisons to Batman villain The Joker.

The clip was posted by Vox journalist Aaron Ruper and has as of Wednesday afternoon garnered more than 4.5 million views.

“Tucker Carlson had a complete meltdown tonight in response to a former New York corrections officer who criticized Derek Chauvin for using excessive force on George Floyd,” Mr Rupar noted.

In the broadcast, Mr Gavin said: “I just think it was excessive,” before being abruptly cut off by Mr Carlson.

“The guy who did it looks like he’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison. So, I’m kind of more worried about the rest of the country, which, thanks to police inaction, in case you haven’t noticed, is like boarded up,” Mr Carlson said.

Mr Carlson then laughed loudly while throwing his head back before quickly regaining his composure and saying “So, that’s more my concern,” and quickly ending the interview as Mr Gavin tried to get a word in.

Al Jazeera anchor Richelle Carey called Mr Carlson a “racist lunatic,” with a social media user going by James Coney responding: “That laugh was one of the most disturbing things I've seen from him. Yes, we all know Tucker’s a white supremacist but to hear him laugh at that moment, in that way, for that reason was horrifying, to say the least.”

Former congresswoman Katie Hill wrote on the platform that “the maniacal laugh says it all”.

Conservative political analyst Bill Kristol added: “A guest tried to say something sensible on Fox News. Tucker Carlson cut him off. Maybe there’s some sense at Fox—some fear at Fox—that reality is threatening to break through to some of their audience? And of course they can’t let that happen...”

Political scientist Don Moynihan wrote: “The way in which Carlson short-circuits, laughs maniacally, and cuts off a guest who doesn’t follow the party line on Chauvin (don’t talk about what he did, but how unfairly he has been treated) is pretty telling.”

Stuart Stevens of the Lincoln Project said “it’s a good thing” that Mr Carlson isn’t in line for any White House “jobs that require drug screening”.

Another Twitter user with the handle “inderockranger” wrote that the “narrative that cities are ‘boarded up’ because of unchecked violence and looting is just racist garbage being peddled by the police and news outlets to keep your nana scared. 500 yards from the most active protest in any city you’ll find people just going about their lives.”

Other account holders on the platform called the laugh “unhinged,” “legit scary,” “unsettling,” and a “Batman villain laugh”. One added that Mr Carlson had “Piers Morgan energy,” and another called him a “psycho”.

A user going by the name Carlos Chantor tweeted: “Anyone who takes Tucker Carlson seriously or listens to any of his s**t needs a lobotomy.”

Another user added that the “off-kilter laugh” was “really startling,” and that “this dude should not be on TV”.

A Twitter user with the handle “RKSALberta” tweeted that “it’s amazing how fragile these fascists get when it’s suggested there should be consequences for taking a black man’s life, or that restraint ought to be used. I can’t believe Fox is just so transparently not even trying to hide it now”.

NBC News reporter Ben Collins noted that there was “something really wrong here” and CNN’s Jim Acosta added that the outburst was “not normal”.