Ted Cruz Calls Tucker Carlson ‘Dangerous Demagogue’ at RJC Conference

Republican leaders escalated their criticism of commentator Tucker Carlson this week after Senator Ted Cruz accused him of fueling antisemitism on the political right during a conference hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington yesterday. Cruz was joined by Senator Tom Cotton at the event, while conservative commentator Ben Shapiro also attacked Carlson’s stance on Israel and the Iran war.

The remarks came during an antisemitism symposium attended by lawmakers, activists and policy leaders, where several Republican figures warned that anti-Israel rhetoric circulating among some conservative influencers is becoming a growing concern. The debate has intensified as the United States and Israel continue military operations against Iran, a conflict that has drawn criticism from several prominent right-wing commentators.

Cruz delivered the most direct attack, naming Carlson as the central figure spreading what he described as dangerous ideas. “I believe Tucker Carlson is the single most dangerous demagogue in this country,” Cruz said. He warned antisemitism is increasing on the political right. “I have seen more antisemitism in the last 18 months on the right than at any point in my lifetime,” Cruz said.

Cruz also suggested some Republican politicians have been reluctant to confront Carlson directly. “It’s actually interesting if you look at Republican politicians. Nick Fuentes is easy to denounce… but they’re scared to say Tucker’s name,” he said.

The Texas senator also criticized Carlson’s interview with far-right influencer Nick Fuentes, accusing the host of failing to challenge Fuentes after he praised Adolf Hitler and promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories. “Nick Fuentes is a goose-stepping Nazi,” Cruz said. “When you say you agree with Hitler, you are a Nazi,” he added.

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas rejected the idea that such personalities represent the broader conservative movement. “I do not agree that I share a political movement or political party with anyone who traffics in antisemitism,” Cotton said, dismissing the commentators as figures who merely claim to speak for the political right. “These ‘influencers’ are perceived to be on the right, maybe they once were,” Cotton added. “But I do not agree that I share a political movement with them.”

The dispute has also spread into conservative media circles. Commentator Ben Shapiro mocked Carlson after he argued that calls for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” could lead to atrocities by occupying foreign troops. Responding to Carlson’s argument, Shapiro said: “I would ask if Tucker Carlson was dropped on his head as a baby, but we have a long record of him not being like this. So the question now is whether he was dropped on his head as an adult.”

Carlson has emerged as one of the most prominent conservative critics of the U.S.–Israel campaign against Iran. In recent days he described the war as “absolutely disgusting and evil,” arguing that it risks drawing the United States into a broader regional conflict. Carlson has also claimed that the war primarily serves Israeli interests rather than American ones, and accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of driving the confrontation. He has further drawn criticism after suggesting on his podcast that the conflict was influenced by the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and by religious beliefs about rebuilding the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

President Donald Trump has also publicly criticized Carlson’s stance on the conflict. In a recent interview, Trump said the commentator had “lost his way,” adding that Carlson was “not MAGA” despite previously being viewed as an ally of the movement.

Some other conservative commentators have echoed Carlson’s criticism of the war. Candace Owens urged Americans not to join the U.S. military while the conflict continues, while Megyn Kelly questioned the purpose of the fighting after several American service members were killed during the campaign.

The dispute highlights growing tensions within the conservative movement as prominent Republican leaders and media figures attempt to distance the party from antisemitic rhetoric while defending strong support for Israel. As the Iran war continues and online commentators debate America’s role in the conflict, Carlson’s influence among parts of the MAGA media ecosystem has increasingly become a focal point of the broader ideological struggle inside the American right.