On Wednesday, critic Tucker Carron unveiled a nearly two-hour interview featuring Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Concurrently, two conservative firefighters shared their thoughts on President Trump’s foreign policy and the future of the Middle East.
The discussion was undeniably controversial, at times escalating with shouts and insults. It was punctuated by a brief clip Carlson had released the previous evening, where he quizzed Cruz about the Iranian population.
Cruz launched a counterattack on Wednesday morning, dismissing Carlson’s framing and encouraging audiences to tune into the “Validate” podcast for the complete interview with the former Fox News host.
Here are five key takeaways from the interview.
Carlson presses Cruz on AIPAC
At the beginning of the interview, Carlson questioned Republican lawmakers regarding Cruz’s prior expressions of support for a regime change in Iran and potential U.S. military actions aimed at preventing the nation from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Critics have accused Cruz of advocating actions beneficial to Israel, suggesting that lawmakers on Capitol Hill are swayed by the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
“Everyone is obsessed with Israel,” Cruz exclaimed as Carlson probed the financial dynamics behind political influences.
Cruz acknowledged that AIPAC “has raised a lot of money for me,” but expressed disappointment that the lobbying group “isn’t even more effective” in Washington.
The Texas Senator stated that he arrived in Congress with the clear intention of being a staunch supporter of Israel and had no regrets about his position on Iran or other Middle Eastern entities that threaten both Iran and U.S. allies.
Carlson countered, labeling AIPAC a “foreign lobby” and implying that its influence could potentially drag the U.S. into an expensive war.
Carlson fears Iran might endanger Trump
During his dialogue with Cruz, Carlson asserted his belief in “self-defense,” stating he supports military interventions against foreign nations intending to harm the U.S. president.
Carlson then asked Cruz, “Why don’t you advocate for military action against Iran?” following Cruz’s claim that the Iranian government aims to hurt Trump.
Cruz responded, indicating that “no one is calling for” military action against Iran for threats against Trump.
“You believe in other conspiracy theories, Tucker,” Cruz remarked. “Did we land on the moon, or was 9/11 an inside job?”
Before proceeding, Carlson labeled Cruz a conspiracy theorist, stating there was a significant flaw in his reasoning. Cruz retorted that he wasn’t one to throw around terms like “anti-Semite” lightly.
Cruz criticizes Carlson and defends Trump
As the focus shifted after Carlson quizzed Cruz about the Iranian population, the discussion became increasingly tense.
“You’re engaging in reckless rhetoric without facts,” Cruz stated, cautioning the former cable news anchor who previously highlighted “brave” voices on matters such as the coronavirus pandemic and immigration.
“I’m not the one advocating for government overthrow; you are,” Carlson shot back, pointing his finger at Cruz.
The Republican legislator then read a direct quote from President Trump, criticizing remarks made by Carlson and others while questioning their strategies regarding the Middle East and adamantly opposing involvement in a war between Israel and Iran.
“I never criticized Donald Trump; I campaigned for him,” Carlson replied defensively. “I support Trump.”
The president had earlier criticized Carlson, deeming him “odd” for his commentary on the Middle East, suggesting he should devote his time to sharing his opinions on television.
In a conversation with Trump this week, Carlson reiterated that entering a foreign war that serves no purpose while the nation struggles is a dangerous move.
Carlson demands Cruz apologize for backing Ukraine
Following discussions about Trump’s stance on Iran, Carlson accused Cruz of endorsing some of the U.S.’s gravest “foreign policy failures” in recent years, highlighting support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
“You’ve been harmful for the past three years, throwing other people’s children into the fray,” Carlson exclaimed. “And you’ve never apologized for that.”
Cruz initially sat quietly but then remarked, “The number of false statements you’ve made in one sentence is astonishing.”
“The war with Russia was instigated by Joe Biden’s weakness,” Cruz added.
However, Carlson remained unconvinced.
“You endorsed the war,” he reiterated, insisting that Cruz “should apologize.”
“We should apologize,” Cruz said before hesitating and scoffing, “I am not here to entertain requests for an apology.”
Carlson has frequently criticized U.S. involvement in the war in Ukraine, especially after an interview where he confronted Russian President Vladimir Putin following the launch of his own media platform.
During this trip to Moscow, Carlson praised the nation’s economy and infrastructure.
Cruz attempts to discredit Carlson post-interview
After Carlson aired the interview with Cruz, the senator took to social media to criticize the framing of their discussion, asserting his disapproval of the former Fox host in subsequent episodes of the “Validate” podcast.
“I had an extensive interview with Tucker, who released a small snippet focused on Iran’s population. I refused to play that ridiculous game,” Cruz posted late Tuesday. “Watch the two-hour interview where Tucker criticizes Trump and questions the ‘AIPAC lobby.’ It was wrongly reported that he isn’t trying to harm Trump.”
In a follow-up post, Cruz questioned why Carlson was “refusing to acknowledge” what he called the undeniable reality of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
“The facts don’t concern you, Tucker; they certainly don’t shape your narrative,” the senator remarked.
Prior to and following the release of their brief clips on Iran, Cruz aired a new episode of his verdict podcast before the full interview was made available on Carlson’s X account.
“In terms of foreign policy, Tucker went off the rails. He’s lost perspective,” Cruz stated.
“I believe Americans want a president who says, ‘I’ll defend us from those who wish to harm us.’ That’s precisely what Donald Trump aims to do.”
Source: thehill.com