Is Tucker Carlson a Jew-Hater?
Tucker Carlson is one of the most watched news pundits on the Net with a broad reach and ever growing audience. That being said, he has faced significant criticism for allegedly promoting antisemitic rhetoric, though he and his supporters deny these claims. Here's an overview of the arguments from both perspectives followed by my thoughts on Tucker:
Carlson’s critics and their accusations against him for antisemitic leanings have been increasing since his ouster by Fox News Corp. in 2023 over the Dominion lawsuit against the cable network for Carlson’s reporting on the alleged discriminatory actions taken by the vote tabulating done in the 2020 Presidential election.
He has platformed controversial figures such as can be seen in his interview with historian Darryl Cooper in September 2024, who has been accused of downplaying the Holocaust. This prompted all 24 Jewish Democratic members and several conservative Republicans of the U.S. House of Representatives to issue a joint statement condemning the interview, labeling Cooper as a "Nazi apologist and Holocaust denier.”
Carlson has also been criticized for echoing the "Great Replacement" theory, which suggests that elites are deliberately replacing white Americans with immigrants. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has condemned Carlson for promoting this theory, stating that it has antisemitic underpinnings and has inspired acts of violence.
Carlson's documentary "Hungary vs Soros: The Fight for Civilization" was accused of promoting antisemitic tropes by targeting George Soros, a frequent subject of antisemitic conspiracy theories. While I personally am no fan of Soros, the fact that he is Jewish should not give permission to others to lay blame on all Jews for one Jewish man’s despicable behavior on the world stage.
Abby Grossberg, a former producer for Carlson's show, alleged that the work environment was rife with sexism and antisemitism. She claimed that antisemitic images and comments were commonplace. This type of behavior has also been revealed by “anonymous sources” as well.
While Carlson’s critics have been many, and seen a rise in numbers over the last two years he does have his defenders who detail counterarguments.
Carlson, and his supporters argue that his critiques are political rather than religious or ethnic. They assert that his discussions on topics like immigration and globalism are policy-focused and not rooted in antisemitism.
Carlson has expressed support for Israel, which some interpret as tepid and inconsistent with antisemitic beliefs. However, critics argue that support for Israel does not preclude antisemitic attitudes, especially if domestic Jewish communities are targeted.
Some of his defenders claim that Carlson is exercising his right to free speech by discussing controversial topics and that labeling his commentary as antisemitic is an attempt to silence dissenting opinions.
While Tucker Carlson denies harboring antisemitic views, his platforming of controversial figures and promotion of theories with antisemitic associations have led to widespread criticism from Jewish organizations and lawmakers. Supporters will continue to argue that his commentary is political and falls within the bounds of free speech. The debate continues over whether his rhetoric crosses the line into antisemitism or remains within the realm of political discourse.
My opinion? I have watched and listened to Tucker Carlson for years, from his time at the Weekly Standard as a political writer, to his stint on CNN, when it was at least a fairly decent news outlet, right up to his years at Fox News before he was canned by Rupert Murdock. In the past I always respected his political evolution over the earlier years. However, the jump from that of a moderate right-leaner to some one that has been moving gradually to some extremist views as it relates to the Middle East and Israel in particular, I find quite troubling.
While he has never been a strong advocate for Israel or Jewish causes, he also was not overtly antisemitic or a public hater of Jews. What he is like in his private life in that regard is a mystery for me since I don’t really know the man on that personal level.
What I see of the public persona is the same that everyone else sees: a media pundit with a point of view that I sometime agree with and many times do not. I don’t dislike the man, but I don’t really know him, so I can’t really say if I like him or not. The jury is still out on that one.
I really have no problem with him having guest on his show that are anti-semitic or those who don’t care much for Israel. Actually, I find it a bit refreshing that he is willing to have them on his platform because it allows his viewers to see some of the Jew-hating rhetoric laid-out bare-to-the-bones for all to witness first-hand…and that is always a good thing. As the saying goes — the best disinfectant is exposure to the light; so too, the best cure for battling antisemitism is the light of truth shining on their lies and hypocrisy for all the world to see.
Do I think Tucker Carlson is antisemitic? His fence riding on this issue makes it difficult to pinpoint at this time. Do I think he is a “Jew-hater?” I see no real evidence for that, so that moniker will not be pinned on him by me, at least not until he shows beyond any reasonable doubt for that to be the case. I’ll continue keeping an eye open for that.
Do I think he is no true friend of Israel, America’s number one ally in the world? To that I must unequivocally say YES - evidence is abundant he is no friend of Israel, therefore, on that, he and I would likely not be friends as well.
That’s it. I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments below on this important topic about Tucker Carlson. Please Like, Subscribe and Share.
Until next time: Shalom!
References Used:
Axios: https://www.axios.com/2024/09/10/jewish-house-democrats-rebuke-tucker-carlson
ADL: https://www.adl.org/resources/article/deplatform-tucker-carlson-and-great-replacement-theory
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/feb/03/tucker-carlson-film-antisemitic-attack-against-george-soros
Fox News Corp: https://www.npr.org/2023/06/30/1185371179/fox-pays-lawsuit-tucker-carlson-producer-dominion-bias-discrimination