The White House sharply rebuked former Fox News host Tucker Carlson after a fiery interview on Israeli television in which Carlson accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pushing the United States deeper into the ongoing war with Iran.
Carlson appeared this week on Israel’s Channel 13 with journalist Udi Segal, where the conversation quickly turned confrontational over the widening regional conflict and America’s role in it. During the interview, Carlson argued that President Donald Trump had given in to pressure from Netanyahu by authorizing military action against Iran.
“The Israeli prime minister pushed the U.S. president, who turned out to be far weaker than I understood, into a war that hurts the United States,” Carlson said.
The comments marked another dramatic escalation in Carlson’s increasingly public break with Trump over foreign policy, particularly regarding Iran and the broader Middle East conflict. Once one of the president’s most loyal media allies, Carlson has become one of the loudest voices on the right warning against prolonged military involvement overseas.
The interview grew especially tense when the discussion shifted to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following the October 7 attacks by Hamas. After Segal referred to Iran as a “terror regime,” Carlson openly challenged both the language and the broader conduct of the war.
“I don’t believe Donald Trump,” Carlson said regarding the administration’s position on the conflict.
“And I also think, as an Israeli, you should pause before using the phrase ‘terror regime’ since you live in a country that just murdered thousands of children in Gaza,” he continued.
Segal then pressed Carlson on whether he viewed Israel’s actions as a “genocide.” Carlson stopped short of using that term, instead describing the situation as “ethnic cleansing.” He also accused the journalist of being more troubled by criticism of Israel’s conduct than by the deaths themselves.
“You’re more upset by how I describe the murder of children than you are at the murder of children,” Carlson said.
Estimates for the death toll in Gaza since Israel launched its post-October 7 military operation currently sit at roughly 70,000 people, including combatants.
The White House responded forcefully to Carlson’s remarks in a statement provided to Channel 13. According to The Times of Israel, the administration echoed Trump’s own rhetoric by describing Carlson as “a low IQ person who spreads fake news for cheap publicity.”
The statement also defended Trump’s handling of Iran and praised Israel as a critical ally in the military campaign.
“Long before he was elected, President Trump has been consistent in his belief that Iran can never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon,” the statement read. “President Trump took bold, decisive action to protect the American people — something presidents have talked about for 47 years, but only this President has had the courage to address.”
The administration also pointed to joint U.S.-Israeli operations targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and defense infrastructure as evidence of the alliance’s success.
Carlson, however, has continued expressing regret over his support for Trump as the war drags on.
“You know, we’ll be tormented by it for a long time,” Carlson said last month regarding his endorsement of Trump. “You know, we’ll be tormented by it for a long time.”
Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Carlson in return. Last month, the president dismissed Carlson’s criticism of the Iran conflict by calling him a “low-IQ person” who “has absolutely no idea what’s going on.”
“I like dealing with smart people, not fools,” Trump said.
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