The Questions You’re Not Allowed to Ask

Public discussion is no longer organic.

We now have no-go topics.

There are issues that will get you censored on social media if you write them; there are news topics that will get channels banned from YouTube if you post them.

Simultaneously, there’s growing pushback against these efforts aimed at stifling free speech. The old voices of authority are increasingly losing their hold on the hearts and minds of the public.

That’s why during the COVID-19 pandemic, people questioned the establishment narratives despite the near-blanket programs to censor all unapproved discussions. The United Nations, through its World Health Organization (WHO), even declared an “information pandemic” to silence the noise of too much information.

It’s also what was credited as the source of so-called vaccine hesitancy: A growing distrust in the systems of “global governance,” as well as a distrust of the media establishment. In essence, the pillars of the old worldview are now crumbling.

It was in this context that former Fox News host Tucker Carlson took the stage at Turning Point USA in Florida on July 16, just after speaking at a separate conference in Iowa, where he interviewed the leading 2024 candidates for the Republican Party, with the exception of former President Donald Trump. It was just after—in his own words—“savaging” them on stage.

The videos went viral on Twitter. News outlets were plastered with either praise or hit pieces. That’s because what Mr. Carlson had done was to ask many of the questions you’re just not supposed to ask.

When he spoke with former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Mr. Carlson kept a large part of the 25-minute interview focused on the transgender issue. He noted that Mr. Hutchinson had previously voted with Democrats to block a ban on hormone treatments for children.

Mr. Hutchinson noted he did that because he didn’t believe the choice of parents is the business of the government, and because he believes the use of hormones isn’t irreversible such as gender surgeries would be. But rather than accept the answer and move to other topics, Mr. Carlson pressed deeper.

“This is a permanent change; why would we allow that if we don’t allow surgery?” Mr. Carlson asked.

Other interviews played out similarly. When former Vice President Mike Pence took the stage, one of the first questions he was asked was about January 6, 2021. When Mr. Pence focused on the violence, Mr. Carlson pressed Mr. Pence on who was killed that day.

Notably, the only people who died that day were Trump supporters. Mr. Pence then pivoted to talk about the Black Lives Matter riots. Mr. Carlson repeatedly brought the conversation back until Mr. Pence stated what appeared to be his real opinion on what happened on Jan. 6, why he chose to certify the 2020 election, and why he appears to now oppose his former boss.

“But candidly as I’ve said before, you know, President Trump’s words that day were reckless, I believe whatever his intentions in that moment it endangered me and my family and everyone that was at the Capitol that day,” Mr. Pence said. “I believe history will hold him accountable for that.”

Mr. Carlson also challenged Mr. Pence’s views on why the United States should continue to supply weapons to Ukraine.

“You are distressed that the Ukrainians don’t have enough American tanks. Every city in the United States has become much worse over the past three years; drive around, there’s not one city that’s gotten better … and it’s visible. Our economy has degraded, the suicide rate has jumped, public filth and disorder and crime have exponentially increased. … I think a fair question to ask is where is the concern for the United States in that,” Mr. Carlson said.

“Well it’s not my concern,” Mr. Pence responded.

Mr. Pence then went on to acknowledge the issues that matter here at home: the border crisis, lack of law and order, financial challenges, and others. He noted that with Ukraine, his focus would be to ensure America is strong abroad as well.

But for many viewers, and from what was visible in online discussions afterward, public opinion had shifted.

Following that event, when Mr. Carlson spoke onstage at Turning Point USA in Florida, he shared his views about what was a candid and somewhat brutal discussion with the GOP hopefuls.

He said the public seems to accept “blanket rules” on topics and debate, and everyone just seems to follow along. There are accepted topics. Most discussions tend to follow the same basic template of talking points.

Yet, the real topics, the ones that actually matter to voters, tend to fall by the wayside. Or even worse, the real topics sometimes will get you attacked.

There has been a growing divide between public opinion and approved opinion. There’s a rift between the facts that the establishment media say are absolute, and what the public holds to be true. The trajectory in dealing with these growing rifts has been a push by establishment platforms to censor anyone who deviates.

But maybe what we don’t need is censorship. At least, it doesn’t seem to be working. Maybe what we need instead is honest, and sometimes unpleasant, debate.