Tucker Carlson Calls Howard Stern a 'Coward' Over His COVID Stance

Tucker Carlson has dubbed Howard Stern a coward over the radio host's recent COVID-19 comments.

The Fox News host dedicated a portion of his show on Thursday to comments Stern made during his show on September 7, 2021 and January 3 and 19 of this year. Carlson also posted a clip of this moment to his Twitter page.

Carlson began his attack on Stern by insisting he respected him and career accomplishments, before dubbing him a coward.

"Howard Stern, by any measure, is one of the great radio hosts of all time," Carlson began.

"He has made a huge amount of money for doing what he does but there is a reason for it.

"He was incredibly brave, vulgar yes, but truly talented, above all courageous."

Carlson listed some of what he saw as Stern's greatest accomplishments which included fighting for free speech, fighting against government censorship, and "sticking it to the man."

"Maybe it was coronavirus that broke him, maybe it was hormonal changes from middle age, he is now a coward. His broadcast is now about cowardice.

"Amplifying his fears about corona over the air, and attacking, more precisely, attacking anybody else who has decided to live life as a free person."

Carlson then played an extract from Stern's September 7, 2021 show.

"When are we going to stop putting up with the idiots in this country, and just say, it's mandatory to get vaccinated," Stern said during his show.

"F*** 'em. F*** their freedom. I want my freedom to live. I want to get out of the house already. I want to go next door and play chess.

"I want to go take some pictures. "This is bulls***."

Carlson then played a snippet from Stern's January 3 show where he criticized large gatherings at Oprah's home during the Christmas period.

"I'm really amazed by Oprah, I really am. I mean, on her Instagram, she likes to take you into her house where every night of Christmas is a big party, like a celebration," Stern said.

"She flies in a different chef. and I'm, you know, it's getting very confusing to me."

He continued: "You know, I see what's going on with COVID. Everyone's got it. Everyone's sick. People have 104 fever.

"I don't want to have 104 fever. I don't want to get sick, so I'm hiding. But everyone else is out running around. I see Oprah, she's having dinner parties."

Carlson continued to mock Stern and claimed he had "declined into this quivering mass of neuroses and hatred."

Stern has faced a backlash following comments from his show on January 19 where he argued that if he was in charge, anyone unvaccinated who had COVID would not be treated in a hospital.

"If it was up to me, anyone unvaccinated would not be admitted to a hospital.

"At this point, they've been given plenty of opportunities to get the vaccine," Stern said.

He added: "They don't trust our government. They think that there's some conspiracy to turn them into a magnet, or something like this.

"Now if you don't get [the vaccine] in my America, all hospitals would be closed to you. You're going to go home and die."

Carlson concluded "there is something sad about this" as he reflected on Stern's comments before introducing his next guest.

Newsweek has contacted Fox News and Stern for comment.