Tucker Carlson sparked a firestorm on social media following his recent trip to Israel, where he traveled to conduct an interview with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee at Ben Gurion Airport’s VIP lounge.
Carlson claimed that members of Israeli security detained and questioned him and his team during the visit, describing the experience as “bizarre.”
Carlson stated that “men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” according to the New York Post.
Carlson also confirmed that his team had departed Israel following the incident.
Ambassador Huckabee, however, publicly disputed Carlson’s characterization of the encounter, calling it a routine security screening rather than a detention.
“EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions,” Huckabee wrote on X.
Huckabee also shared an official statement from the Israel Airports Authority denying that Carlson’s group was “denied, delayed, or interrogated.”
The IAA statement said Carlson and his party were “politely asked a few routine questions,” consistent with standard procedures applied to many travelers entering or exiting the country.
The authority further stated that the questions were conducted inside a separate room within the VIP lounge “solely to protect their privacy,” rather than questioning the group in a public area.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy also weighed in, telling The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI that it was “not accurate” that Israel would only permit Carlson into the country for the purpose of the interview.
The embassy spokesperson said the U.S. Embassy’s sole involvement in the visit was coordinating the landing of Carlson’s private plane “as part of facilitating a seamless visit.”
The spokesperson added that Carlson received “the same positive treatment of any visitors to Israel,” and that the passport control questions he received were the same ones “that countless visitors to Israel, including Ambassador Huckabee and other diplomats, receive as part of normal entrance and exit.”
Carlson did not leave the airport complex during his visit to Israel.
Upon arrival, he posted a photo alongside business partner Neil Patel in front of Ben Gurion Airport with the caption, “Greetings from Israel.”
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett responded sharply to Carlson on X, calling him a “chickensh*t” and accusing him of fabricating the airport incident.
Bennett stated that Carlson “didn’t even step foot in the country” before “made up a story that he’s being supposedly harassed by our security,” and returned to his private jet.
David Friedman, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Israel during President Donald Trump’s first term, described Carlson’s decision to remain at the airport as an “obviously intentional missed opportunity,” noting what he said were standing invitations for Carlson to visit various sites across Israel.
Since departing Fox News in 2023, Carlson has launched an independent venture called The Tucker Carlson Show, where he has hosted controversial guests including Nick Fuentes.
During a conversation with Fuentes on his program, Carlson stated that Ambassador Huckabee was “seized by this brain virus” for supporting Israel, and added, “I dislike [Christian Zionists] more than anybody.”
At a memorial service for Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Carlson suggested that Israel was responsible for Kirk’s assassination.
In December 2025, the advocacy organization StopAntisemitism named Carlson its “Antisemite of the Year.”
