It was interesting that the following incident occurred shortly after my post defending horror auteur Mike Flanagan from a conservative critic’s attack because he had one of his characters say that she “threw up in her mouth” thinking about Tucker Carlson. Guesting on “Prime Time with Alex Stein” (Stein is kind of a cheap knock-off of Tucker Carlson), the Fox News exile was asked by his conspiracy theory-loving host, “Do you think that the moon landing was real, and do you think that it was done by Nazis that were literally brought over during Operation Paperclip? Is that a conspiracy or is that true, in your opinion, Tucker?”

I’ve always wondered if the Nazi scientists were only figuratively brought over in Operation Paperclip, haven’t you? Stein’s question was brain-meltingly stupid, and the only responsible answer to it in a broadcast setting would be, “Of course the moon landing was real, of course I don’t believe it was faked, and if you do, I’m leaving so I can be interviewed by someone who is smarter than you, like, say, my dog.”

But Carlson didn’t say that. Instead, he replied, “You know, I don’t know! I do know that the the original moon landing tapes have been erased at NASA because they needed, you know, the tape space. So they just kind of taped over them.” Yeah, they did: almost all conspiracy theories depend on relevant records and evidence being destroyed or lost. It doesn’t matter: the moon landing conspiracy theory is one of the most ridiculous and insulting of them all. Giving it any credence is unforgivable: Buzz Aldrin once punched a guy in the face when he implied that the old astronaut was part of the supposed hoax, and I thought that was an appropriate response.

This was typical Carlson, and why I throw up in my mouth a little every time I think about him. One thing Carlson isn’t is ignorant. He doesn’t believe that the moon landing was faked. He knows that such a massive conspiracy, in addition to being, you know, insane, would involve so many people that it would have been revealed by now, after more than 50 years. Carlson frequently argues for positions he doesn’t hold, which is why he can’t be trusted and doesn’t belong on a news source. Carlson says what he calculates will get him the most publicity and will satisfy his fans. He’s a classic demagogue in that respect: his goals aren’t societal or based on sincere values. They are personal. If Carlson can profit and gain influence by sowing distrust, doubt and fear, then he’ll happily impugn the integrity of the government and legitimate heroes like the NASA team behind the moon walk.

Tucker Carlson exists to create chaos. This time, he made it obvious.