Fox News' Tucker Carlson expressed anger over the burning of his TV network's Christmas tree on Wednesday, calling it an "attack on Christianity" and an "assault on religious observance."
The towering Christmas tree that stood right outside the Fox News headquarters in New York was set ablaze early on Wednesday. Firefighters raced to extinguish the flames that ate up the 50-foot tree located in Midtown Manhattan.
According to the Washington Post, 49 year old Craig Tamanaha was arrested by New York police on Wednesday and now faces charges of criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and arson.
A little past midnight on Wednesday, the Fox News Channel's security caught Tamanaha climbing the towering Christmas tree, which sat on the corner of West 48 Street and Sixth Avenue.
"A Christmas tree is a symbol. It's a symbol of a specific culture," the 52 year old "Tucker Carlson Tonight" host declared during the Wednesday broadcast of his program. "It's a symbol of a much-loved tradition that is hundreds of years old. But above all, it's a symbol of a religion, in this case the world's largest."
Faithwire reported that Carlson argued how the burning of the tree was a strike against faith, saying that it was "an attack on Christianity, obviously. It's an assault on religious observance. By current standards, destroying someone's religious symbol would be called a hate crime."
Carlson also aired his disapproval over how the U.S. Department of Justice lacks concern about events such as the burning of a Christian symbol, but actively tracks assaults against other religions. He claimed that the DOJ keeps track of "how many Qurans were burned last year" but not how many Christmas trees were burned because "they could care less."
A Christmas tree is a symbol. It's a symbol of a specific culture. It's a symbol of a much-loved tradition that's hundreds of years old. Above all, it's a symbol of a religion, the world's largest. Torching Christmas trees is an attack on Christianity. pic.twitter.com/enFRpnT0mQ
"” Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) December 9, 2021
According to the New York Post, Tamanaha, a homeless man who NYPD officers have known for committing several low-level crimes, was later released by a judge due to New York's lenient bail reform laws. Meanwhile, workers reinstalled the metal-framed artificial fir of the Fox Christmas tree and adorned it with red and white ornaments, as well as a large red star. By noontime, the towering tree was showcased on the tourist-heavy block, where onlookers were happy to see the tree back up following the fiery blaze set on Wednesday.
In a ceremony featuring Cardinal Timothy Dolan and members of the Fire Department of New York and the New York Police Department on Thursday, the restored Fox Christmas tree was lit back up. Following a countdown on Fox's "The Five," the massive tree was lit on Sixth Avenue and West 48th Street as carolers performed "Deck the Halls."
Commentator Jesse Walters remarked how Fox knew how to "bounce back" from he horrible burning of their Christmas tree and thanked the security team that identified and eventually captured the arsonist. After the Christmas tree was lit, Cardinal Dolan gave some remarks, saying, "The purpose of this season is that light always conquers darkness. We need a little Christmas right this very moment. May all who delight in this tree delight in salvation."
