After the heated and combative interview between Republican Senator Ted Cruz and right-wing media host Tucker Carlson went viral online, Cruz accused the conservative commentator of being “utterly fact-free” in his views on Iran and U.S. foreign policy.
Why It Matters
Cruz’s clash with Carlson took place during a two-hour interview that Carlson later posted on X, where the former Fox News host challenged Cruz over his support for regime change in Iran.
The two debated a range of issues, focusing on U.S. involvement in Iran and Carlson’s claim that Cruz prioritizes Israel too heavily in his foreign policy.
Their exchange came amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, which were sparked when Israel launched airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military targets, killing several senior scientists and officers. Iran quickly retaliated, most recently hitting a major Israeli hospital in a strike the Israeli government said crossed a “red line.”
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
What To Know
In a post on X on Thursday, responding to commentator Matt Walsh’s commentary about the interview, Cruz wrote, “I agree that it was interesting. But it would have more so had Tucker not been utterly fact-free.”
“‘I’ve never heard of Iran trying to kill [President Donald Trump]!’ [high-pitched laughter],” Cruz wrote, mocking the former Fox News host.
The Texas senator then brought up a Department of Justice indictment, writing that “it’s an objective fact.” The indictment charges Farhad Shakeri, an Iranian operative, with plotting to assassinate Trump.
During the interview, Carlson pressed Cruz on fundamental knowledge of Iran, beginning with a question about the country’s population. When Cruz said he didn’t know, Carlson replied, “You don’t know the population of the country you seek to topple?”
The former Fox News host posted the clip online and it quickly went viral, drawing tens of millions of views and sparking widespread debate among those on both sides of the political aisle.
Cruz defended his record and turned the conversation toward the threat posed by Iran, citing the DOJ’s indictment of Farhad Shakeri. “You’re the one who claims they’re not trying to murder Donald Trump,” Cruz told Carlson, referencing the alleged plot.
“You’re the one who can’t figure out if it was a good idea to kill General Soleimani and you said it was bad,” Cruz added.
Carlson countered that Cruz was downplaying the implications of advocating for military action without understanding the country in question.
“You’re a senator who’s calling for an overthrow of the government and you don’t know anything about the country,” Carlson said.
In a follow-up exchange, Cruz said the U.S. is currently helping Israel conduct strikes on Iranian targets. “We are carrying out military strikes today,” he said.
Carlson interrupted to point out that Israel was leading the campaign, to which Cruz replied, “With our help. I said ‘we’—Israel is leading but we’re supporting them.”
When Carlson asked if Cruz knew Iran’s population, the senator replied that he didn’t “sit around memorizing population tables,” prompting Carlson to say: “You don’t know the population of the country you seek to topple?”
Carlson’s rhetoric toward Trump has been increasingly critical, with the longtime supporter—who headlined large rallies with the Republican during the 2024 campaign—this week suggesting that the president was breaking his pledge to keep the United States out of foreign entanglements.
Trump clapped back at Carlson on social media, calling him “kooky.”
During an event at the White House later Wednesday, Trump said that Carlson had “called and apologized” for criticizing him, saying Carlson “is a nice guy.”
What People Are Saying
Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday night: “Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, ‘IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!'”
Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to Donald Trump, said on his show, “The War Room”: “Come on, man. We have to have an adult conversation. We’re not going to let the shills at Fox—the same exact crowd that said the same thing about the Iraq War—force the President of the United States into a corner. He needs a range of options.”
Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, commented on his weekly podcast: “You’ve got Tucker Carlson going, ‘Why are we going to war with Iran again?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, you tell him, brother!’ That’s how f—ing upside down we are right now.”
What Happens Next
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will make a decision on whether or not to have the United States join Israel’s war with Iran “within the next two weeks.”
