Trump defends Tucker Carlson for interviewing Fuentes

Since leaving Fox News, Tucker Carlson has done everything he can, whenever he can, to create a splash in the media. One instance was interviewing Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist who has become influential on the far right in this country.

While many are calling out Carlson for giving Fuentes the exposure, Trump is defending Carlson for his interview.

The interview

Carlson has never feared the controversial, even when he was at Fox News, so it was not exactly a surprise to see him interview some like Nick Fuentes.

Fuentes despises the Jews, having addressed some of the comments he made on the podcast with Carlson afterward.

He stated, “Do us all a favor. We are done with the Jewish oligarchy. We are done with the slavish surrender to Israel, the wars, the foreign aid, the policing of antisemitism, the Holocaust religion and propaganda.”

After the interview, there were calls throughout the conservative and liberal movements slamming Carlson for the interview.

Pushing back

Matt Gertz, a senior fellow at Media Matters, responded to the interview, “Tucker Carlson has long played a role as the kind of figure in the MAGA media who would legitimize extremists and sort of bring them into the fold.”

He later added, "He functions as a taste maker, when he hosts someone like Nick Fuentes, he is presenting them to a massive audience particularly the sort of younger-staffer wing of the Republican Party that really take heed of what he says."

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who has never hidden his affinity for Israel, stated, "If you sit there with someone who says Adolf Hitler was very, very cool, and that their mission is to combat and defeat global Jewry, and you say nothing, then you are a coward and you are complicit in that evil.”

Not everyone was upset with Carlson, however, as the Heritage Foundation defended the interview while at the same time condemning antisemitism.

Trump defends Carlson

In defending Carlson, Trump stated that the journalist has “said good things about me over the years.”

After saying you cannot tell Carlson who he can and cannot interview, he added, “If he wants to interview Nick Fuentes, I don’t know much about him, but if he wants to do it, get the word out. People have to decide.” Fuentes responded, “Thank you Mr. President!”

This is going to bring hell down on Trump, but I support Trump on this, and I think Fuentes is a reprehensible person. But that is exactly why he should be interviewed. Let people see what he is all about for themselves so they can make their own decision about him.

During my time as a writer-journalist, I have sat across the table from many people I despised or did not support, but I got their story to inform my readers. I don’t like Tucker Carlson, but as Trump stated, you cannot tell him who can interview. And while I agree with Cruz that when you interview someone like Fuentes, you cannot positively frame his beliefs, but I would say that also exposes Carlson and his beliefs.