Tucker Carlson has a new enemy: the politics he helped build | Newsmakers

Interview Summary

Presenter/interviewer: Steve Inskeep Guest: Tucker Carlson

Iran War and U.S. Policy

Tucker Carlson told NPR’s Steve Inskeep that his break with President Trump stemmed chiefly from the Iran war. He called the decision profoundly destructive and said Trump had been pressured by Israel, despite understanding the risks. Carlson recounted warning Trump that war could damage U.S. influence in the Gulf. According to Carlson, Trump replied, “In the end, we all die anyway.”

Carlson said Trump should have been removed from office for threatening the first use of nuclear weapons. He urged cabinet members to demand that Trump retract such threats or resign.

Carlson argued that U.S. policy gives Israel outsized influence and that the Iran war serves Israeli ambitions rather than American interests. He pointed to U.S. military aid and political ties as evidence. Inskeep challenged Carlson’s claims, including the possibility that rhetoric about foreign control and loyalty could echo antisemitic ideas. Carlson rejected that characterization, saying his criticism was directed at Israel’s government and its influence in Washington, not Jews as a group.

Carlson acknowledged that previous Democratic administrations pursued diplomacy with Iran. He argued, however, that both parties have broadly supported policies hostile to Iran and are aligned on major foreign-policy and economic questions.

Political Parties and Elections

Carlson said Vice President JD Vance had long opposed a war like this but was publicly supporting the president out of loyalty. Carlson expressed affection for Vance and disappointment that the Republican Party had not become more opposed to interventionist wars.

Reflecting on his decades as a partisan cable-news host, Carlson said he had taken part in too many “fake debates” and failed to notice areas where the parties were more alike than different.

He criticized both major parties and said he wanted voters to have a genuine alternative, but described organizing a third party as beyond his abilities. Carlson said he does not plan to vote and declined to endorse either candidate in Maine’s Senate race, emphasizing that voters should be able to choose their nominees.

He also said foreign money in politics is troubling, while arguing that influence should be judged by whether it advances U.S. interests.

Epstein Files

Carlson recounted advising Trump to release the Epstein files, saying he did not believe they implicated Trump in sexual crimes. According to Carlson, Trump worried that the media would use the files to associate him with Epstein. Carlson said he could report what Trump told him but could not know Trump’s private reasoning.

Faith and Technology

Carlson said his Christian faith has deepened through a growing awareness of his personal flaws. He described sobriety and Alcoholics Anonymous as important reminders of humility. He also said he regretted making categorical judgments about Trump’s religious faith, though he interpreted Trump’s remarks about not getting into heaven as possibly reflecting a genuine fear of death.

On artificial intelligence, Carlson warned that the technology may foster human arrogance. He argued that developers still cannot fully explain how large language models work or reliably predict their energy use, and said he favors slowing development.

Personal Focus

Carlson said he tries not to chase ratings or read online attacks about himself. He described the greater danger as becoming fixated on a single issue or on one’s critics, arguing that this can make a person resemble the very people they oppose.