In a rare moment of reconciliation, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson apologized on Monday to the far right provocateur Nick Fuentes for previously referring to him as a “weird little gay kid” during a heated discussion months earlier.
The apology came during a wide-ranging conversation about the societal impacts of pornography on young people, a topic both men argued is under-discussed.
“Something that is almost never talked about is this is a generation that’s totally sexually dysfunctional, I think, because of pornography,” Fuentes said, elaborating on what he sees as the challenges facing young men and women today. He noted that real-life relationships struggle to compete with the constant novelty and accessibility of pornography. “A real woman, without getting graphic, is only one person and, you know, maybe she wants to do something sexual, maybe she doesn’t. Porn is you could have 100 different women in one sitting, doing anything. Whatever niche or idiosyncratic thing a person might be into, it’s there,” Fuentes said.
Carlson, acknowledging the seriousness of Fuentes’ points, responded, “Seems like it’s making a lot of people gay too,” before Fuentes explained that excessive pornography use can lead some young people to seek increasingly extreme content. Carlson pressed for clarity on the extent of the issue, asking, “Actually?” when Fuentes revealed that many young people consume pornography multiple times per day. “Oh absolutely,” Fuentes replied.
In the course of the discussion, Carlson returned to a previous pattern of criticism, noting generational trends around marriage and relationships. “I’m sorry I called you gay, by the way,” Carlson said, a rare public acknowledgment of his prior insults. “But I think I’m just too old or something. I’m like, why isn’t anyone married? You tell me. Why aren’t people married?”
Fuentes offered his perspective on broader cultural forces, citing a growing ideological divide between men and women. “Well, I mean, honestly, it’s the women. The women are extremely liberal. No one talks about that… There’s a 45-point difference between men and women. The men are extremely conservative, increasingly. The women are extremely liberal,” he said.
The moment marked a sharp departure from past tensions. In August, during an interview with Candace Owens, Carlson had repeatedly labeled Fuentes with derogatory language, calling him “this child, this weird little gay kid in his basement in Chicago” and an “angry gay kid.” The apology on Monday represents an acknowledgment of their previous conflict and a willingness to focus on substantive societal issues rather than personal attacks.
Throughout the conversation, both Carlson and Fuentes framed pornography as a central concern for conservatives, linking its widespread consumption to rising sexual dysfunction, relational instability, and cultural shifts that challenge traditional values. Their discussion highlighted the cultural stakes conservatives see in preserving family structures and encouraging healthy social development among young adults.
In reconciling, Carlson demonstrated a rare break from his earlier rhetoric, choosing to address broader societal issues while acknowledging personal missteps, signaling that the debate over pornography, marriage, and generational divides remains a key topic in conservative circles.
[READ MORE: Jean-Pierre’s Memoir Draws Sharp Rebuke and Renewed Scrutiny of Democratic Messaging]
