Supporters of the far-right QAnon conspiracy cult were among the extremists who violently stormed the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, inspiring national security experts to voice concerns about QAnon possibly making inroads in the military and law enforcement. But some pundits at Fox News, including Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson, don’t view QAnon as a threat and are now defending the movement by equating criticism of QAnon with attacks on free speech.

Carlson, during one of his angry rants on Tuesday night, mocked the idea that QAnon is dangerous.

“The real threat is a forbidden idea,” Carlson said mockingly. “It’s something called QAnon.”

Carlson went on to show a collage of cable news clips describing QAnon’s extremism before suggesting that those attacking QAnon are promoting “tyranny.”

“No democratic government can ever tell you what to think,” Carlson told viewers. “Your mind belongs to you. It is yours and yours alone.”

This was a non-sequitur. The clips he had showed included media figures sharing fears and concerns about the belief system, not a call for the government to […]