President Donald Trump on Sunday defended conservative media host Tucker Carlson’s heavily criticized interview with far-right activist Nick Fuentes, a self-avowed white nationalist known for his antisemitic views. Trump’s first public comments on the hotly debated controversy come after days of infighting among some Republicans over the interview.
During the interview, Carlson and Fuentes criticized Republicans closely aligned with Israel and AIPAC. Fuentes went on to complain to Carlson about “organized Jewry in America” and described himself as a “fan” of former Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin.
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Trump’s take on the interview
When asked about Carlson as he traveled back to the White House after a weekend at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said, “You can’t tell him who to interview.”
“If he wants to interview Nick Fuentes, I don’t know much about him, but if he wants to do it, get the word out,” Trump said. “People have to decide. Ultimately, people have to decide.”
Trump also said Carlson has “said good things about me over the years,” touting a previous interview he did with the former Fox News host. Trump said it received “300 million hits.”
Fuentes posted a video of Trump’s remarks on social media.
“Thank you Mr. President!” he wrote.
Trump asked about dinner with Fuentes
Fuentes and rapper Kanye West, now known as “Ye,” had dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 2022, drawing criticism from Republicans, including Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence. Trump was asked on Sunday by a reporter about that dinner and whether Fuentes had a role in the conservative movement.
“I didn’t know [Fuentes] was coming and he was with, as you know, somebody, Kanye,” Trump replied. “And Kanye asked me if he could have dinner, and he brought Nick. I did not know Nick at the time. And he did. He came along with a few other people. He brought a few people with him.”
Trump then turned his attention back to Carlson, saying, “Meeting people, talking to people, for somebody like Tucker, that’s what they do. You know, people are controversial. Some are, some aren’t. I’m not controversial, so I like it that way.”
Stirring controversy
Despite Trump’s comments, Carlson’s lengthy interview with Fuentes continues to cause controversy among some conservatives.
President of the Heritage Foundation Kevin Roberts, a conservative think tank, initially defended Carlson’s sit-down with Fuentes, describing those who criticized Carlson as a “venomous coalition.”
Roberts later apologized for his remarks and has reportedly taken down a video in which he defended Carlson. He later claimed he did not know much about Fuentes.
Some Heritage staffers reportedly called for Roberts’ resignation over his support of Carlson. But he has expressed a desire to stay on, citing a “moral obligation” to fix the fallout he said he caused.
