Tucker Carlson Apologizes for Helping Elect Trump, Questions Iran War Motives

Prominent conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has issued a public apology for his role in getting US President Donald Trump into the White House, saying in a podcast published on Monday that he will be "tormented for a long time" by the damage he helped cause. Speaking on his podcast with his brother Buckley Carlson, a former speechwriter for Trump's 2016 campaign, Tucker Carlson said he and millions of other supporters had ignored "signs of low character" in their enthusiasm for Trump. "You and I and everyone else who supported him… we're implicated in this for sure," Carlson said. "It's not enough to say, well, I changed my mind or like, oh, this is bad, I'm out… In very small ways, but in real ways, you and me and millions of people like us are the reason this is happening right now." Carlson, who has emerged as one of Trump's most prominent conservative critics over the US‑Israeli war on Iran, apologized for "misleading people," adding that the deception was not intentional but that he still bore responsibility. "I do think it's like a moment to wrestle with our own consciences," he said. The podcast episode saw Carlson and his brother question whether Trump's plan all along had been to wage war on Iran and break his campaign promises. They also raised questions about the $250 million donation from casino magnate Miriam Adelson to Trump's campaign, asking what the Israeli‑American billionaire and her husband, a prominent donor to pro‑Israel causes, received in return. "If Russia had given a PAC for Trump... would that have been acceptable? Of course it wouldn't have been," Buckley Carlson said. Despite being one of Trump's most vocal supporters in recent years, Tucker Carlson has had a major falling-out with the US president. Earlier this month, the former Fox news host described Trump's religion as "Israelism" rather than Christianity, accusing the American leader of launching the war on Iran "on behalf of Israel." He also condemned Trump's infamous AI‑generated image of himself as a Jesus‑like figure as a "mockery of God." Other prominent Trump supporters who have turned their back on the president over alleged broken campaign promises include former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, podcaster Joe Rogan, commentator Candace Owens, and InfoWars host Alex Jones. Trump has responded with a series of personal attacks on his critics, calling them "stupid people" with "low IQs." He also stated that Carlson was no longer part of the MAGA movement and described him as a "flailing fool" who should "see a good psychiatrist." Israel's Ministry for Diaspora Affairs has also listed Carlson among its top ten "anti‑Semite and anti‑Zionist" influencers for 2025, alongside Candace Owens and Greta Thunberg.