Tucker Carlson has faced backlash following his controversial decision to interview commentator Nick Fuentes, who some have dubbed his “most controversial guest ever.”
The interview sparked infighting amongst MAGA, with high-profile individuals like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) slamming Carlson over the move.
Amidst the chaos, President Donald Trump has finally weighed in to surprisingly defend Carlson.
“I think he’s good,” Trump told a Bloomberg reporter. “He’s said good things about me over the years.”
“Look, you can’t tell him who to interview,” he added in a statement that has quickly revitalized conservatives who have felt ousted by some of the president’s more recent statements.
One surprised X user wrote, “It’s such a W that Trump did not disavow Nick Fuentes.” Another said, “Zionists are about to have a meltdown.”
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The president’s reaction comes as many conservatives argue he betrayed MAGA for defending the controversial H1-B visa program that allows foreign workers into the United States.
Trump also turned heads by standing by previous statements supporting the entry of up to 600,000 Chinese students into the United States, arguing these students need to study at American institutions to prevent U.S. colleges from going “out of business.”
Amid that backlash, Fuentes said on X: “Trump’s 2nd term is objectively a colossal disappointment and a catastrophic failure.”
“When billionaires from Wall St, Silicon Valley, and the Israel Lobby were lining up to donate, that’s how you knew,” he added.
Earlier this month, Carlson spoke publicly for the first time since the controversial interview, dubbing Fuentes “the single most influential commentator among young men, period.”
The ex-Fox News host told Megyn Kelly that Fuentes operates without advertisers and has faced cancellation attempts since his college years, including efforts by The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro to shut him down during his freshman year that ultimately backfired.
Carlson expressed surprise at the outcry, noting he has interviewed figures ranging from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Liberian militia leaders who were cannibals during that country’s civil war.
Shapiro recently went on a tangent denouncing Fuentes and Carlson over the interview. “[Say] no to the groypers. No to the cowards like Tucker Carlson, who normalize their trash. No to those who champion them,” the host said.
Even Cruz piled on amid the outrage, dubbing Fuentes a “little Nazi.”
After receiving push back from Fuentes, Cruz would offer a clarification: “Just to be clear, I called [Fuentes] a ‘little Nazi,’ not as an empty epithet, but rather as an accurate description of what he says he believes.”
The senator then posted a link to a video where Fuentes is depicted saying, “Hitler is awesome. Hitler was right. And the Holocaust didn’t happen.”
Fuentes would rally again with a post revealing the amount of money Cruz has received from the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC along with the caption: “Actually, this is why you attacked me. Nobody cares about the name calling anymore. We want our country back.”
Earlier this month, Resist the Mainstream reported that Turning Point USA’s University of Florida chapter moved to remove dozens of College Republicans from its group chat, citing their support for Carlson and Fuentes as violations of hate speech policies.
The organization stated it promotes open dialogue grounded in mutual respect and democratic values. However, the message took a harder stance against what it termed “hate speech” and harassment.
The chapter warned it would not tolerate rhetoric promoting xenophobia, misogyny, racism, antisemitism or any ideology rooted in discrimination or violence.
