Tucker Carlson: Can Democrats lead a country they 'despise'?

Tucker Carlson called into question the "patriotism" of Democrats and the mainstream media Monday following a weekend of criticism over President Trump's Fourth of July celebration.

"It's been considered out-of-bounds to question a person's patriotism. It’s a very strong charge and we try not to make it, but in the face of all of this, the conclusion can't be avoided," Carlson said during his opening monologue of "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

"These people actually hate America. There’s no longer a question about that. And yet, at the same time, they desperately want to control America more than anything, and that leads to the most basic of all questions: Can you really lead a country that you hate?" the host asked.

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Carlson pointed to withering criticism from liberals who took issue with Trump's July 4 remarks at Mount Rushmore -- which a CNN reporter had described as "a monument of two slaveowners" situated on stolen land.

"Ask yourself: What kind of parent would you be if you hated your children? What kind of officer would you make if you didn't care about your troops? It would be awful," Carlson said.

"The results would be ugly. It would not work. Loving the people you lead and caring deeply about them is the most basic prerequisite of leadership."

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The host went on, "The leaders of today's Democratic Party do not. They despise this country. They have said so. They continue to. That is shocking, but it is also disqualifying. We cannot let them run this nation because they hate it."

He warned, "Imagine what they would do to it."