Popular American TV host mocked for bizarre theory on cause of Dublin riots

His comments have received a backlash.

US conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson has shared a bizarre theory about the cause of the Dublin riots last week. Last Thursday, a knife attack occurred outside Gaelscoil Coláiste Mhuire in Parnell Square East that left a woman and three children injured, of which a five-year-old girl remains in critical condition. Within hours, riots broke out in Dublin city centre - with many on social media using the attack to criticise the Irish Government's immigration policies. In the ensuing chaos, three buses, three Garda patrol cars and one Luas tram were set alight, while 13 properties were attacked and substantially damaged.

“All too often I hear in Leinster House, generally members of the rural independents … who go out of their way to mention immigration & criminality in the same sentence … they disgust me”@AodhanORiordain had strong words on the violence that broke out in Dublin. #DublinRiots pic.twitter.com/wB3ogob0Z1

— JOE.ie (@JOEdotie) November 24, 2023

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has since confirmed that the man suspected of the attack is an Irish citizen who has lived in the country for 20 years, but was not born in the state. Having been dismissed from Fox News earlier this year, Carlson launched the show Tucker on X on the social media platform. In an episode released this week titled 'Dublin in Flames', the presenter spoke with Steve Bannon - former White House Chief Strategist and long-time ally of Donald Trump - about the cause of last week's riots.

Ep. 41 Dublin in flames. What’s happening in Ireland will happen here, at scale. Steve Bannon explains. pic.twitter.com/KzrRUJq0ZL

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) November 27, 2023

Popular American TV host shares bizarre theory on cause of Dublin riots

And during that conversation, Carlson claimed that the Irish Government is "trying to replace the population of Ireland with people from the third world". Putting this theory to Bannon, the former Fox News presenter said:

"So, the Irish Government is trying to replace the population of Ireland with people from the third world, obviously. But why? "What's the justification for that? Ireland was never a colonial power. These are not people they once ruled coming back to the mother country. The same people have lived in Ireland for thousands of years. They have a native population and they're being replaced. "Why would someone want to do that, do you think?"

To this, Bannon replied: "I think you're seeing this because the political class [in Ireland] is very tied to Brussels. There’s really no true opposition party when you think from a populist nationalist perspective.

"They've got a couple of small parties that are starting to grow. Of course, you got Sinn Féin, who's the political arm of the IRA, who are more and more taking on a nationalistic bent. "You've got a couple of small parties, one kind of Trump inspired, to combat this. But look, you talk about the great replacement theory, and people get very upset when you talk about it. "The Germans and the people in Brussels, the party of Davos, just doesn't think the working class European population is very controllable. They think they're dangerous. "They think they're the cause of these world wars - in World War I and World War II - so they've tried to control them every way possible. Now they're using immigration and Ireland is one of the worst examples and that's why it's a powder keg."

The episode has received a backlash, with many highlighting inaccuracies in Bannon and Carlson's comments. These include Bannon's statements about and pronunciation of Sinn Féin, as well as Carlson stating that a man is suspected of stabbing five people in Dublin city centre last Thursday - instead of four. You can read some of these critical reactions to the episode below:

“So the Irish government is trying to replace the native population with people from the Third Word, obviously.” — Tucker Carlson on Ireland. For his large, Elon Musk-promoted, X show.

We wonder where riot organisers get their notions. pic.twitter.com/R9VLdBfI4m — Adrian Weckler (@adrianweckler) November 28, 2023

If you want to see two absolute clowns who know nothing about Ireland actually discussing Ireland, here you go

Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon, a frightening combination pic.twitter.com/4VINj8mmAf — Conor Lally (@conormlally) November 28, 2023

Tucker Carlson shouting, “Ireland is in flames.” In US & U.K where the far right is now mainstream: public services & welfare slashed. 40m Americans in trailer parks. U.K the lowest pension & welfare payments in Europe. U.K 2009: 12 food banks. 2023: 2,600. Don’t be conned

— Joe Brolly (@JoeBrolly1993) November 28, 2023

Dear @TuckerCarlson

All Ireland is laughing at you, you festering ignoramus. pic.twitter.com/lTbrK2JlLf — Aidan McQuade ?? (@the_mcquade) November 29, 2023

Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson are so arrogantly ignorant about Ireland they make Alan Partridge look humble and knowledgeable. pic.twitter.com/RxJyVtAcmy

— hill16bhoy (@hill16bhoy) November 28, 2023

Read more:

• Conor McGregor reportedly to be investigated by Gardaí over Dublin riots
• Gardaí investigating after another Dublin Bus set on fire in wake of riots
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• Six-year-old girl injured in school stabbing attack in Dublin released from hospital
• Elon Musk takes aim at Leo Varadkar in series of tweets about Ireland
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