Tucker Carlson Says Ted Cruz Is Worse Than Holocaust Denier Nick Fuentes

Tucker Carlson sparked backlash Saturday after telling The New York Times that Sen. Ted Cruz was “more morally repulsive” than white nationalist commentator Nick Fuentes, before questioning whether Holocaust denial was “worse than killing kids.”

The exchange came during a wide-ranging interview focused largely on Carlson’s growing break with President Donald Trump over the Iran war and U.S. support for Israel. Throughout the interview, Carlson repeatedly redirected criticism of Fuentes toward Gaza civilian deaths and pro-Israel Republicans.

When the interviewer asked Carlson who was “more morally repulsive,” Cruz or Fuentes, Carlson immediately answered: “Ted Cruz.” He repeated the answer a second time moments later. Carlson argued that Cruz, as an elected official advocating military action, held more responsibility than Fuentes, whom he described as “like a kid” with “no power except his words.”

Carlson also dismissed some of Fuentes’ rhetoric as “something naughty that I disagreed with.” Fuentes, a far-right white nationalist commentator with a large online following, has repeatedly denied or mocked aspects of the Holocaust and made antisemitic remarks.

The interview’s most controversial exchange came after the Times interviewer reminded Carlson that Fuentes “is a white nationalist who denied the Holocaust.” Carlson responded: “Okay, but is that worse than killing kids?”

The interviewer then argued that “the Holocaust didn’t start with the gassing of Jews,” but with “the dehumanization of Jews” through rhetoric and language. Carlson replied: “I couldn’t agree more,” before pivoting toward Gaza and American officials supporting Israel’s war effort.

“When you have a U.S. senator, a member of Congress, a U.S. ambassador waving away civilian deaths as if they don’t matter, that’s the language of genocide,” Carlson said.

He later added: “If you think that Nick Fuentes is a greater threat to other human beings than Ted Cruz I would love to know how.”

The Times interviewer repeatedly challenged Carlson on whether he was minimizing Fuentes and echoing antisemitic narratives. At one point, she told him: “I can imagine people hearing this and thinking you are softpedaling Nick Fuentes.”

Carlson rejected the accusation. “Softpedaling Nick Fuentes? I’m trying to awaken people to killing of innocents in our midst,” he said.

Elsewhere in the interview, Carlson accused outside pro-Israel figures of pressuring Trump into war with Iran. He claimed “all the pressure was coming from outside,” naming casino billionaire Miriam Adelson, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, radio host Mark Levin, and Fox News host Sean Hannity. Carlson said Trump had been told he would “save and redeem Israel.” Carlson also described Trump as “more a hostage than a sovereign decision maker” regarding Israel and Iran.

Other viral moments from the interview included Carlson claiming Trump has a “spellbinding” quality and comparing spending time around him to “smoking hash or something.” The interview also featured a tense exchange in which Carlson denied suggesting Trump could be the Antichrist before the interviewer played back the clip of him saying exactly that.

Near the end of the interview, Carlson admitted: “I wish I hadn’t done the Fuentes interview.” But he said he regretted it because it distracted attention from Iran and Gaza, not because of Fuentes himself. “What I really wanted to talk about was where we were going in this war with Iran,” Carlson said.