Ted Cruz Trolls 'Fact-Free' Tucker Carlson With 'Objective Fact'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
After the heated and combative interview between Republican Senator Ted Cruz and right-wing media host Tucker Carlson went viral online, Cruz accused the conservative commentator of being "utterly fact-free" in his views on Iran and U.S. foreign policy.
Why It Matters
Cruz's clash with Carlson took place during a two-hour interview that Carlson later posted on X, where the former Fox News host challenged Cruz over his support for regime change in Iran.
The two debated a range of issues, focusing on U.S. involvement in Iran and Carlson's claim that Cruz prioritizes Israel too heavily in his foreign policy.
Their exchange came amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, which were sparked when Israel launched airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and military targets, killing several senior scientists and officers. Iran quickly retaliated, most recently hitting a major Israeli hospital in a strike the Israeli government said crossed a "red line."
Senator Ted Cruz, chairman Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, leads the committee's questioning of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Chair and CEO Lisa Su, CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator and Microsoft...
Senator Ted Cruz, chairman Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, leads the committee's questioning of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Chair and CEO Lisa Su, CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator and Microsoft Corporation President and Vice Chair Brad Smith in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 08, 2025 in Washington, DC. More
Photo byWhat To Know
In a post on X on Thursday, responding to commentator Matt Walsh's commentary about the interview, Cruz wrote, "I agree that it was interesting. But it would have more so had Tucker not been utterly fact-free."
"'I've never heard of Iran trying to kill [President Donald Trump]!' [high-pitched laughter]," Cruz wrote, mocking the former Fox News host.
The Texas senator then brought up a Department of Justice indictment, writing that "it's an objective fact." The indictment charges Farhad Shakeri, an Iranian operative, with plotting to assassinate Trump.
1/x @MattWalshBlog I agree that it was interesting. But it would have more so had Tucker not been utterly fact-free.
'I've never heard of Iran trying to kill Trump!' [high-pitched laughter]
It's an objective fact. Here's the DOJ indictment: https://t.co/vkFJDNb8S2 https://t.co/cX6nTbRI3m — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 19, 2025
During the interview, Carlson pressed Cruz on fundamental knowledge of Iran, beginning with a question about the country's population. When Cruz said he didn't know, Carlson replied, "You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple?"
The former Fox News host posted the clip online and it quickly went viral, drawing tens of millions of views and sparking widespread debate among those on both sides of the political aisle.
Cruz defended his record and turned the conversation toward the threat posed by Iran, citing the DOJ's indictment of Farhad Shakeri. "You're the one who claims they're not trying to murder Donald Trump," Cruz told Carlson, referencing the alleged plot.
"You're the one who can't figure out if it was a good idea to kill General Soleimani and you said it was bad," Cruz added.
Carlson countered that Cruz was downplaying the implications of advocating for military action without understanding the country in question.
"You're a senator who's calling for an overthrow of the government and you don't know anything about the country," Carlson said.
In a follow-up exchange, Cruz said the U.S. is currently helping Israel conduct strikes on Iranian targets. "We are carrying out military strikes today," he said.
Carlson interrupted to point out that Israel was leading the campaign, to which Cruz replied, "With our help. I said 'we'—Israel is leading but we're supporting them."
When Carlson asked if Cruz knew Iran's population, the senator replied that he didn't "sit around memorizing population tables," prompting Carlson to say: "You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple?"
Carlson's rhetoric toward Trump has been increasingly critical, with the longtime supporter—who headlined large rallies with the Republican during the 2024 campaign—this week suggesting that the president was breaking his pledge to keep the United States out of foreign entanglements.
Trump clapped back at Carlson on social media, calling him "kooky."
During an event at the White House later Wednesday, Trump said that Carlson had "called and apologized" for criticizing him, saying Carlson "is a nice guy."
What People Are Saying
Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday night: "Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, 'IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!'"
Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to Donald Trump, said on his show, "The War Room": "Come on, man. We have to have an adult conversation. We're not going to let the shills at Fox—the same exact crowd that said the same thing about the Iraq War—force the President of the United States into a corner. He needs a range of options."
Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, commented on his weekly podcast: "You've got Tucker Carlson going, 'Why are we going to war with Iran again?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, you tell him, brother!' That's how f---ing upside down we are right now."
What Happens Next
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will make a decision on whether or not to have the United States join Israel's war with Iran "within the next two weeks."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
23 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Rhode Island lawmakers pass bill to ban sales of assault weapons
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island's Democratic-controlled state House on Friday approved legislation that would ban the sale and manufacture of many semiautomatic rifles commonly referred to as assault weapons. The proposal now heads to the desk of Democratic Gov. Daniel McKee, who has said he supports assault weapons bans. If the bill is signed into law, Rhode Island will join 10 other states that have some sort of prohibition on high-powered firearms that were once banned nationwide and are now largely the weapon of choice among those responsible for most of the country's mass shootings. Gun control advocates have been pushing for an assault weapons ban in Rhode Island for more than a decade. But despite being a Democratic stronghold, lawmakers throughout the country's smallest state have long argued over the necessity and legality of such proposals. The bill applies only to the sale and manufacturing of assault weapons and not possession. Only Washington state has a similar law. Residents looking to purchase an assault weapon from nearby New Hampshire or elsewhere will also be blocked. Federal law prohibits people from traveling to a different state to purchase a gun and returning it to a state where that particular of weapon is banned. Nine states and the District of Columbia have bans on the possession of assault weapons, covering major cities including Los Angeles and New York. Hawaii bans assault pistols. Critics of Rhode Island's proposed law argued Friday during floor debates that assault weapons bans do little to curb mass shootings and only punish people with such rifles. 'This bill doesn't go after criminals, it just puts the burden on law-abiding citizens,' said Republican Sen. Thomas Paolino. It wasn't just Republicans who opposed the legislation. David Hogg — a gun control advocate who survived the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fla. — and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence described the proposed ban as the 'weakest assault weapons ban in the country.' 'I know that Rhode Islanders deserve a strong bill that not only bans the sale, but also the possession of assault weapons. It is this combination that equals public safety,' Hogg said in a statement. Elisabeth Ryan, policy counsel at Everytown for Gun Safety, rejected assertions that the proposed law is weak. 'The weakest law is what Rhode Island has now — no ban on assault weapons,' Ryan said. 'This would create a real, enforceable ban on the sale and manufacture of assault weapons, just like the law already working in Washington state, getting them off the shelves of Rhode Island gun stores once and for all.' Nationally, assault weapons bans have been challenged in court by gun rights groups that argue the bans violate the 2nd Amendment. AR-15-style firearms are among the bestselling rifles in the country. The conservative-majority Supreme Court may soon take up the issue. The justices declined to hear a challenge to Maryland's assault weapons ban in early June, but three conservative justices — Samuel A. Alito Jr., Neil M. Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas — publicly noted their disagreement. A fourth justice, Brett M. Kavanaugh, indicated he was skeptical that the bans are constitutional and predicted the court would hear a case 'in the next term or two.' Kruesi writes for the Associated Press. AP writers David Lieb in Jefferson City, Mo., and Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
28 minutes ago
North Carolina Green Party retains official status despite failing vote thresholds
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Green Party will remain an official party in North Carolina, able to field candidates statewide through the 2028 elections, even though their 2024 nominees for governor and president failed to get the votes required by state law. The Republican-led State Board of Elections voted 3-2 on Thursday to continue recognizing the North Carolina Green Party, potentially affecting close contests for president, U.S. Senate and governor or other statewide and local offices. Without Thursday's action, the party would have joined four other small parties who also failed to reach the vote thresholds necessary and are thus no longer recognized — the Constitution, Justice for All, No Labels and We the People parties. None of their candidates received at least 2% of the total vote for governor or president to remain an official party. That means voters who are registered with those four parties are moved to unaffiliated status on voter rolls starting next week. Those groups also would have to collect about 14,000 signatures to regain official party status — an effort that takes time and money. But the North Carolina Green Party petitioned the board this spring to apply another standard. State law also says a group of voters can become a political party if they 'had a candidate nominated by that group on the general election ballot' in at least 35 states in the prior presidential election. The group presented a Federal Election Commission document showing Jill Stein, the Green Party nominee, appeared on the November 2024 ballot in 38 states. In seven states, however, she was not the nominee of the party or of a Green Party affiliate, according to the commission document. For example, she was an independent candidate in three of the seven. Democratic board member Jeff Carmon said he wasn't convinced the standard was met because Stein failed to be nominated in 35 states by the Green Party or an affiliate. Republican members decided otherwise. Although Stein may have been listed as the nominee for a different party or as independent, she was the national Green Party candidate, board Chairman Francis De Luca said. The three Republican members agreed that the North Carolina Green Party could remain an official party. The two Democrats voted no. The board shifted from a Democratic majority to a Republican majority last month after a 2024 state law took appointment authority away from the governor and to the state auditor. With Thursday's action, there will be four recognized political parties in North Carolina — Democratic, Republican, Libertarian and Green. As of last week, the largest bloc of North Carolina's 7.53 million registered voters are unaffiliated, at 2.85 million. About 4,000 voters are registered with the Green Party.
New York Post
29 minutes ago
- New York Post
Israel and Iran exchange fresh volley of attacks after Tehran rejects US talks
JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON, June 21 – Iran and Israel exchanged fresh attacks early on Saturday, a day after Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear program while under threat and Europe tried to keep peace talks alive. Shortly after 2:30 a.m. in Israel, the Israeli military warned of an incoming missile barrage from Iran, triggering air raid sirens across parts of central Israel, including Tel Aviv, as well as in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Interceptions were visible in the sky over Tel Aviv, with explosions echoing across the metropolitan area as Israel's air defense systems responded. At the same time, Israel launched a new wave of attacks against missile storage and launch infrastructure sites in Iran, the Israeli military said. Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday. AP Sirens also sounded in southern Israel, said Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency service. An Israeli military official said Iran had fired five ballistic missiles and that there were no immediate indications of any missile impacts. There were no initial reports of casualties. The emergency service released images showing a fire on the roof of a multi-story residential building in central Israel. Local media reported that the fire was caused by debris from an intercepted missile. Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying its longtime enemy was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. It neither confirms nor denies this. Its air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based human rights organization that tracks Iran. The dead include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists. People spend the night in a public shelter as a precaution against possible Iranian missile attacks, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday. AP In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed in Iranian missile attacks, according to authorities. Reuters could not independently verify casualty figures for either side.
