Tucker Carlson confronts Ted Cruz on Iran as Maga rift erupts into public view
Ted Cruz, the US senator from Texas, and conservative media personality Tucker Carlson have clashed over US military involvement in the Middle East, with the latter shouting: 'You don't know anything about Iran!' in a heated interview that exposes a sharp division within Donald Trump's coalition as the president considers joining Israel in attacking Iran.
In the confrontation, a short excerpt released ahead of an approximately two-hour interview set to air today, Carlson – an acolyte of the Maga movement which generally argues for American isolationism from foreign wars – challenged Cruz's knowledge of Iran, which the Republican hawk has advocated attacking.
Related: Majority of Trump supporters against US military involvement in Israel-Iran conflict, poll finds
'How many people live in Iran, by the way?' Carlson asked.
'I don't know the population at all,' Cruz replied.
'You don't know the population you seek to topple?' Carlson pressed.
When Cruz questioned why Iran's population figures mattered – 'Why is it relevant if it's 90 million, or 80 million, or 100 million?' – Carlson pushed further, asking Cruz about the country's ethnic composition.
'They are Persians, and predominantly Shia,' Cruz replied, before Carlson jumped in: 'You don't know anything about Iran!'
The exchange escalated when Cruz claimed the US was already conducting military operations. 'We are carrying out military strikes today,' he said, only to then clarify in a follow-up that he meant American support for Israeli strikes rather than direct US action.
Related: Iran threatens US with 'irreparable damage' if Trump joins war
'You just said 'we' were,' Carlson responded. 'This is high stakes. You're a senator. If you're saying the United States government is at war with Iran right now, people are listening.'
The public spat reflects another fracture within Trump's coalition over whether America should join Israel's escalating conflict with Iran. The president has deployed additional military assets to the Middle East, including refueling tankers and a second carrier group, while considering strikes on Iran's heavily fortified nuclear facilities underground.
While Trump's personal authority remains largely unchallenged, the coalition of his supporters faces a serious internal test. Prominent American isolationists – including Carlson, Steve Bannon and the House representative Marjorie Taylor Greene – argue that military intervention would betray Trump's 'America First' principles. Pro-Israel hawks – like Cruz, his fellow senator Tom Cotton and the commentator Mark Levin – contend that it serves American interests to confront a regime that has plotted against Trump. Bannon has warned that Middle East military involvement could distract from domestic priorities like mass deportations.
The division has grown so pronounced that Trump publicly rebuked Carlson for his opposition to attacking Iran, posting: 'Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.'
Cruz defended himself after the Carlson dust-up, accusing the TV host of 'playing a 'gotcha' on the population of Iran. I declined to play that silly game.' He accused Carlson of attacking Trump and disputed Carlson's claim that Iran was not trying to assassinate Trump.
The debate over entering another Middle East war also reflects other divisions within Trump's Maga movement, particularly over immigration policy. But Trump has so far been able to broadly ensure conflicting opinions do not boil over in public.
JD Vance – once known to be skeptical of foreign interventions – said the president 'may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment'. Trump's tough talk toward Iran has meanwhile intensified in recent days. On Monday he wrote: 'Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!' and the next day: 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.'
Israeli strikes have so far killed at least 585 people in Iran, including 239 civilians, according to a Washington-based human rights group. Iranian retaliation has killed at least 24 Israelis and wounded hundreds more.
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