General Discussion

Carlson dismissed the uproar that came after he had Nick Fuentes, an influential white nationalist, on his show, saying, “He didn’t get us into war with Iran.” He reserved choice words for Senator Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee, the American ambassador to Israel, who he said were both calling for “killing kids” (both men denied this) and were responsible, along with Trump, for “making this moment possible.” He also called Cruz “repulsive, disgusting.”

Though he downplayed Fuentes’ influence on our politics and characterized his antisemitic and racist views as “naughty,” he told me he regretted having him on his show because it distracted from the bigger issues.

Carlson was credited with getting Trump to pick Vance as his vice president, and he spoke protectively about his friend, who he said had been subject to “nonstop treachery” by “neoconservatives” inside the White House. He also said that the right-wing personalities Mark Levin and Laura Loomer “have been out for Vance from Day 1, big time.” Both Levin and Loomer denied that.

Carlson said Vance was in a “tough spot” because his long-stated foreign policy views were contrary to the administration’s actions in Iran. Carlson said of Vance that he “couldn’t be a bigger fan of him as a man, but I think anybody connected to this is going to have a hard time explaining it, because how is this good for the United States? It’s not.”