Historian vs. Fox Moderator: "You've taken her dirty money"

Higher taxes for the rich: With this demand, the Dutch historian Rutger Bregman recently caused a stir at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Fox News, the conservative favorite channel of US President Donald Trump, also drew attention to Bregman. Host Tucker Carlson invited Bregman for an interview. But that quickly got out of hand. This is shown by a recording released by Bregman.

1 / Here's the interview that @TuckerCarlson and Fox News did not want you to see. I chose to release it because I think we should keep talking about the influence of money in politics. It also shows how angry elites can get if you do that. https://t.co/hs1474MJNM

At the beginning, Carlson praises Bregman's critical performance as "maybe the great moment of Davos history". The World Economic Forum is seen by many Trump supporters as meeting the hated "globalists". When the president traveled to Switzerland last year, a Fox commentator wrote that he is calling for "the world elites out".

Host Carlson seems to see Bregman as an ally for such interpretations. But the Dutchman proposes a different course without pretension: According to polls, a large majority of Americans are for higher taxes. "But nobody says that in Davos, just like no one on Fox News says." His explanation: "Most people in Davos, but also here on this channel have been bought by the billionaire class."

Carlson still remains factual and tries to get back to the tax debate. Bregman points out that US top rates used to be between 70 and 90 percent. The Fox News man deluded, but at that time had also had a broad industrial base, which does not exist today.

"You are a millionaire funded by billionaires"

Bregman says the US is still powerful enough today to fight tax evasion. But after all Trump himself does not know how many "billions he has hidden in the Bermuda or Cayman Islands". Such topics are not reported for corruption. Then he mentions the family of Rupert Murdoch, the Australian publisher to whose empire Fox also belongs. "What Murdochs really want is to blame immigrants instead of talking about tax avoidance."

At least now tilts the mood. Carlson wants to know if, in Bregman's opinion, he will receive orders from the Murdochs. It does not work that easy, says the historian. But Carlson was for many years a member of the think tank Cato Institute, which is co-financed by the arch-conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch. "You took her dirty money," says Bregman. "You are a millionaire funded by billionaires."

Carlson struggles briefly for composure. Then he argues that Bregman can not receive Fox News. "Did you hear about the internet?", The Dutchman returns. "I can not say that I'm a big friend of your show, but if you invite me, I'll do my homework." He is pleased that Carlson has now discovered the tax issue. "But you are not part of the solution, Mr. Carlson, you are indeed part of the problem."

The Fox man is failing. "Why do not you fuck yourself?" He asks Bregman. He wanted to give the historian a forum, but Bregman was "an idiot" and "annoying". He answers with a grin: "You can not handle the criticism, right?" Carlson will probably not send the interview.

In fact, after public pressure from Bregman, Carlson said he valued "many points of view." Unfortunately, his guest has turned the opportunity into an informative debate into an "obviously calculated campaign of personal insults". "We were disappointed with this segment and have too much respect for our audience's time to send it."