Web persona Tucker Carlson clashed with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) over Iran, with the 2 finally shouting over one another in a teaser phase posted on X on Tuesday.
Within the clip, Carlson ― who opposes the U.S. joining the conflict between Israel and Iran, incomes the wrath of the GOP institution together with President Donald Trump ― requested Cruz for some primary details about Iran, such because the inhabitants.
“You don’t know the inhabitants of the nation you search to topple?” Carlson requested in disbelief. “How might you not know that?”
“I don’t sit round memorizing inhabitants tables,” Cruz mentioned.
“Effectively it’s form of related since you’re calling for the overthrow of the federal government,” Carlson mentioned.
It solely grew extra awkward from there, as the 2 raised their voices.
“OK, I’m not the Tucker Carlson professional on Iran,” Cruz mentioned.
“You’re a senator who’s calling for the overthrow of the federal government and also you don’t know something in regards to the nation,” Carlson fired again.
“No, you don’t know something in regards to the nation,” Cruz replied as the 2 continued to go at it.
Carlson mentioned he would publish the total interview on Wednesday.
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Cruz defended himself on X, sharing the clip and writing: “Yep, I stand with Trump. Iran can’t have a nuclear bomb. Be sure to tune in tomorrow.”
Carlson’s opposition to U.S. involvement earned him the ire of Trump, who known as him “kooky” and mocked him for dropping his Fox News present in 2023.
Carlson had been among the many highest-rated hosts on cable information as he peddled conspiracy theories and white nationalist talking points. He and Fox Information parted ways in 2023 after the right-wing community settled a defamation lawsuit introduced by Dominion Voting Methods for $787.5 million associated to repeated lies on the information channel about election fraud.
Carlson, who has admitted to lying to his viewers, was present in court docket paperwork to have some very different feelings for Trump than those he espoused on the air. In personal messages from 2021, he mentioned he “hates” Trump “passionately” and “can’t wait” to disregard him.
Regardless of that historical past, he turned one in every of Trump’s greatest boosters on the marketing campaign path final yr, spoke on his behalf at the Republican National Convention and attended the inauguration.
