Fox News star Tucker Carlson made a surprise appearance to deliver a tribute at the funeral for Ralph “Sonny” Barger, the founder of the Hells Angels.
The funeral for Berger, who was also the longtime president of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, took place in Stockton, California on Saturday.
Carlson was one of more than 7,000 gathered at the Stockton 99 Speedway to pay respects to Barger, who died in June following a brief battle with throat cancer, aged 83.
“I grew up here, I’m 53 years old so I remember a different state,” Carlson said.
“I almost never come back because it makes me sad, and standing here with all of you reminds me of the state I grew up in.
“I haven’t smelled cigarette smoke in the state of California in 30 years and I’m just so grateful to smell it.
“And I’m not joking at all.
“So thank you to those of you who are smoking and persisting, thank you to those of you who are going to the Stockton gun show in two days, God bless.
“I can’t believe they still exist, I can’t believe that this California still exists and I’m just really happy to see that it does.
“I never met Sonny Barger but when he died, his letter to his wife and friends was released, and my college roommate who’s also a Harley-Davidson fan sent it to me.
“We’d always been fans of Sonny Barger, but I didn’t know what his personal views were apart from representing the club.
“And the letter, if I can just summarize it from memory, was, ‘Always stand tall, stay loyal, remain free, and always value honor.’
“And I thought to myself, ‘if there is a phrase that sums up more perfectly what I want to be, what I aspire to be, and the kind of man I respect, I can’t think of a phrase that sums it up more perfectly than that.’
“And I thought that came from Sonny Barger, the famous outlaw biker that every mom in my neighborhood was scared s**tless of as a child.
“That’s Sonny Barger’s worldview?
“Why aren’t we hearing that from the people who run the country?
“Why is it left to Sonny Barger to say, ‘Stand tall, stay loyal, remain free, and always value honor?’
“The president of the United States should be saying that – every single morning as he salutes the flag – but only Sonny Barger is saying it.
“And I thought to myself, I want to pay tribute to the man who spoke those words, and when I was invited to this funeral, I cleared my schedule and I thought, I don’t care how hard it is to get from Maine to Stockton.
“I’m goin’ and I’m here and I’m honored to be here, thank you for having me and I hope that you continue to represent those views. Amen,” he said.
BREAKING: Tucker Carlson make surprise appears to deliver tribute at funeral of Hells Angels biker gang founder in California pic.twitter.com/nsI66uGlGc
— Jack Posobiec XLV (@JackPosobiec) September 26, 2022
Tucker got the respect of the Hells Angels over the weekend when he came from Maine to attend Hells Angels founder Sonny Barger’s funeral in Stockton, California. pic.twitter.com/mNwV6lFUgh
— Jeff Lorenzo 🥂 (@jbellamar) September 25, 2022
