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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
What Ted Cruz's Iran Moment Reveals About America's Foreign Policy Illiteracy
On June 17, Tucker Carlson asked Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) what should have been a simple question: What is the population of Iran? Cruz didn't know. Carlson then asked him to name the country's major ethnic groups. Cruz came up blank again. This was not a gotcha moment. It was a spotlight. Cruz is a senior U.S. senator, a former presidential candidate, and a vocal advocate for a hardline U.S. posture on Iran. The fact that he couldn't name the most basic demographic facts about the country he wants to confront says a lot about how foreign policy operates in the U.S., and who it's meant to impress. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) delivers remarks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on May 8, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) delivers remarks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on May 8, 2025, in Washington, happened in that exchange wasn't just awkward, it revealed something more troubling. It laid bare the way American foreign policy often functions: heavy on confidence, light on depth. When elected officials speak with authority but can't answer the most basic facts, it reveals more than a personal gap. It reflects a deeper failure in how we prepare, and tolerate, those who shape our foreign policy. Cruz reflects a pattern that's become far too common. According to a 2020 Morning Consult/POLITICO poll, only 23 percent of Americans could locate Iran on a map. The rest pointed to Eastern Europe, South America, even Australia. And yet the same electorate regularly weighs in on questions of war, sanctions, regime change, and diplomatic withdrawal. The reality is that many Americans have strong views on foreign policy, but no geographic or historical grounding to anchor them. In a moment of relative global calm, that gap might be more forgivable. But we aren't in a calm moment. In fact, we're in the most conflict-saturated period in recent history. According to the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), 2024 recorded the highest number of state-based armed conflicts since 1946. Sixty-one such conflicts were active last year, including four between nation-states, the highest number of interstate wars in over 35 years. Almost 130,000 people were killed in battle-related deaths globally. We don't just live in a volatile world. We live in a dangerously mismatched one, where the complexity and lethality of modern conflict is rising, while public literacy about that complexity is falling. And this isn't just a polling problem or a media failure. It's a democratic one. In a system built on civilian oversight of military and diplomatic power, ignorance becomes a liability. It allows narratives to be crafted not around facts, but around vibes. When voters can't distinguish between a proxy conflict and a territorial war, or don't understand where the Strait of Hormuz even is, it becomes easier for bad policy to sound like strong policy. Slogans win. Nuance loses. This isn't just a voter problem. It's a leadership problem. When our lawmakers are allowed to posture confidently on matters of war and peace without even the most basic command of regional realities, the public follows their example. We normalize strategic amnesia. We reward theatrical strength over intellectual depth. And we end up with a foreign policy debate that centers on volume, not value. We also risk generational disengagement. Younger voters are inheriting a global environment that is far more multipolar, fragmented, and ideologically diffuse than the Cold War framework their textbooks still teach. But they're doing so with less geographic instruction, less civic education, and more algorithmically filtered noise. If that continues, the quality of our foreign policy conversation will degrade even further, not just in accuracy, but in accountability. This disconnect weakens democratic oversight. It makes military action easier to sell and harder to question. It elevates performative certainty over strategic thought. And it turns foreign policy into something closer to domestic theater, a place for identity posturing rather than global consequence management. You don't need to be an expert on every region to have a valid opinion about the world. But you should at least be able to find the country on a map before you advocate for bombing it. And our elected officials should be able to answer basic demographic questions about the places they want to sanction or confront. Because when they can't, and when we don't care that they can't, the result isn't just ignorance, it's escalation. We are in a moment where ignorance no longer leads to inaction. It leads to conflict. And we're going to pay for that gap with more than just polling errors. We're going to pay for it with human lives, diplomatic credibility, and the erosion of global stability itself. Brett Erickson is a governance strategist and certified global sanctions specialist (CGSS). He serves on the advisory board of the Loyola University Chicago School of Law's Center for Compliance Studies. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ted Cruz Diverges From Other Republicans on Iran
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. Texas Senator Ted Cruz has called for the U.S. to seek a regime change in Iran, a stance that few Republicans have echoed. "Let me be clear, I'm not advocating that we send in a bunch of American soldiers to make that happen," Cruz said on an episode of his podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz, released on Monday. "I am advocating that we use maximum pressure and economic sanctions to pressure the regime in a way that might encourage this regime to fall." Newsweek has contacted Cruz and other Republican lawmakers for comment via email. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) delivers an opening statement as President and CEO of Boeing Kelly Ortberg prepares to testify before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on April... Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) delivers an opening statement as President and CEO of Boeing Kelly Ortberg prepares to testify before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on April 02, 2025 in Washington, D.C. MoreWhy It Matters Cruz's comments come amid uncertainty over whether the United States will get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran. President Donald Trump has reportedly been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility using a "bunker buster" bomb. He said on Thursday said he would make a decision on whether the U.S. will join Israel's war within two weeks. It has caused a split among Trump's most vocal MAGA supporters and national security conservatives, some calling him out for considering a greater U.S. role in the conflict after campaigning on a promise to keep the U.S. out of costly wars. But some Trump allies have said the U.S. should go "all in" to help Israel destroy Iran's nuclear program. What To Know Asked if he supported regime change in Iran, a spokesperson for Texas Senator John Cornyn pointed Newsweek to the senator's recent comments to The Texas Tribune. "I think that's up to the Iranian people," Cornyn told the Tribune. "Hopefully, they will take the opportunity that this may provide." And on Fox News, he said that the U.S. does not need "to take the lead in this effort." He said that Israel "has a variety of options, and they seem to be doing a very effective job on their own with our support." The divisions between Cruz and many Republicans were laid bare in his conversation on Wednesday with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. "You don't know anything about Iran," Carlson told Cruz, after the senator said he didn't know the population of Iran or its ethnic makeup. "You're a senator who's calling for the overthrow of a government, and you don't know anything about the country. " Other MAGA Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, have decried deeper U.S. involvement in the conflict. "Foreign wars/intervention/regime change put America last, kill innocent people, are making us broke, and will ultimately lead to our destruction. That's not kooky," Greene wrote on X in defense of Carlson, after Trump branded him "kooky" for his criticism. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt avoided answering when asked if U.S. involvement in a regime change in Iran was on the table, during a press briefing on Thursday. She said: "The president's top priority right now is ensuring that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon and providing peace and stability in the Middle East." But Senators Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis have openly called for a regime change in Iran. What People Are Saying Senator Ted Cruz said on Fox News on Sunday: "I think it is very much in the interest of America to see regime change. I don't think there's any redeeming the Ayatollah." Senator Thom Tillis told CNN on Thursday: "It's time for regime change. And I believe that this president should be given a fair amount of leeway to effect that." Senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News' Sean Hannity on Monday night: "Be all in, President Trump, in helping Israel eliminate the nuclear threat. If we need to provide bombs to Israel, provide bombs. If we need to fly planes with Israel, do joint operations. But here's the bigger question, wouldn't the world be better off if the Ayatollahs went away and were replaced by something better? Wouldn't Iran be better off?" President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday about the U.S. possibly striking Iran: "I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a national address, said in part: "We warn America of the consequences of engaging in war, because it will suffer severe damage if it decides to do so. War is met with war, bombing with bombing, and strike with strike." What's Next Trump will make a make a decision about taking a direct military role in the conflict "within the next two weeks," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday. This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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First Post
8 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Why did Tucker Carlson's clash with Ted Cruz over Iran go viral?
A combative interview between TV host Tucker Carlson and Senator Ted Cruz has highlighted the divide within the Maga coalition. The two sparred over US involvement in Israel's strikes on Iran, basic facts about the country and Trump's foreign policy. The clash revealed sharp divisions on military intervention and America's future role in the region read more (Left) US Senator Ted Cruz speaks during the AmericaFest 2024 conference in Phoenix, Arizona, US, December 22, 2024; (right) Tucker Carlson speaks during a rally at Madison Square Garden, in New York, US, October 27, 2024. File Images/Reuters A viral interview between United States Senator Ted Cruz and conservative broadcaster Tucker Carlson has taken centre stage as it revealed growing internal divisions in Donald Trump's Republican coalition over potential US military involvement in Israel's escalating confrontation with Iran. The widely circulated conversation, now published in full, has since dominated headlines and now social media. The Cruz-Carlson exchange, recorded on Carlson's podcast earlier in the week, is being described by both participants as unusually combative. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Carlson, a prominent figure in the 'America First' wing of the conservative movement, directly challenged Cruz, one of the Republican Party's leading national security hawks, over his advocacy for US support in Israel's bombing campaign on Iranian targets. Carlson grills Cruz over Iran knowledge The confrontation began with Carlson questioning Cruz about his knowledge of Iran — starting with a seemingly simple query: the country's population. When Cruz admitted, 'I don't know the population at all,' Carlson responded sharply: 'You don't know the population you seek to topple?' Carlson then asked about the country's ethnic composition. Cruz replied, 'They are Persians, and predominantly Shia.' Carlson followed up with: 'You don't know anything about Iran!' At one point, Cruz attempted to deflect the line of questioning by saying, 'OK, this is cute… OK, I am not the Tucker Carlson expert on Iran.' Carlson continued pressing the senator, arguing that knowing such basic facts was essential if Cruz was advocating for regime change or US intervention. Cruz dismissed the line of questioning later as a 'silly game,' accusing Carlson of attempting a 'gotcha' moment. Senator Ted Cruz demands regime change in Iran. He's not interested in the details. (0:00) Why Does Cruz Want Regime Change in Iran? (6:28) Is the US Currently Acting in Its Own Best Interest? (7:49) Was Regime Change in Syria Beneficial to the US? (12:31) Was the Iraq War a… — Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 18, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a follow-up podcast episode, Cruz said, 'I agree with Tucker on 80 percent of the issues,' but added that 'on foreign policy, Tucker has gone bat-crap crazy. He's gone off the rails.' The tension rose further when Cruz stated during the interview, 'We are carrying out military strikes today.' Carlson interrupted, pointing out that Cruz and other officials had previously stated that Israel was leading the strikes. 'You said Israel was,' Carlson noted. Cruz responded: 'Right, with our help. I said 'we' — Israel is leading them, but we're supporting them.' Carlson then remarked, '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.' Division over Trump's foreign policy vision The Cruz-Carlson exchange is only the most visible episode in a broader internal Republican debate that has intensified as Israel's offensive in Iran accelerates. Israeli forces, in recent days, have struck key nuclear infrastructure sites at Natanz and Isfahan, though the underground Fordo facility remains out of reach without US bunker-busting capabilities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The question now is whether the US will directly join in the campaign. The Trump administration has been sending mixed signals. Trump has posted increasingly provocative statements on his social platform, calling for Iran's 'unconditional surrender' and suggesting the US might assassinate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, writing, '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.' He also asserted that the US had assumed control over Iranian airspace, writing: 'We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.' Cruz echoed this sentiment in the Carlson interview, but Carlson seized on the wording of 'we,' pressing whether this implied direct US military action. The disagreement reflects the two ideological wings of the pro-Trump right. One faction, represented by Cruz, US Senator Tom Cotton, and media voices like Mark Levin, supports assertive action against Iran, arguing that the Islamic Republic's alleged assassination plots against Trump and nuclear ambitions pose a direct threat to American security. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The other faction, which includes Carlson, former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, warns that interventionist policies betray the 'America First' mandate Trump ran on in 2016 and again in 2024. Bannon has repeatedly warned that military escalation in the region could derail domestic objectives such as large-scale deportation programs, while Greene said that Carlson 'unapologetically believes the same things I do.' She added, 'Foreign wars/intervention/regime change put America last, kill innocent people, are making us broke, and will ultimately lead to our destruction.' Carlson-Trump tensions flare, then cool Carlson's opposition to American involvement has also placed him in direct conflict with Trump himself. On June 13, Carlson posted that the divide was now between 'warmongers and peacemakers,' and named Republicans and donors such as Sean Hannity, Rupert Murdoch, Ike Perlmutter, and Miriam Adelson as individuals 'calling Donald Trump today to demand air strikes.' Trump initially responded dismissively at the recent G7 Summit in Canada, telling reporters, 'Let him go get a television network and say it so that people listen.' Later, on Truth Social, Trump escalated his rhetoric, saying: 'Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that IRAN CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, by Wednesday, Trump revealed to reporters in the Oval Office that Carlson had called him and apologised for his tone. 'He called and apologised the other day because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong, and I appreciated that,' Trump said. He pointed out that Carlson, like himself, did not want Iran to obtain nuclear weapons, adding, 'You may have to fight… maybe it will end very quickly.' Despite the personal thaw, the strategic divide remains. Carlson reiterated his concerns on Steve Bannon's podcast The War Room, stating that further military involvement could lead to 'the end of the American empire.' Trump, by contrast, has deployed refuelling tankers, a second carrier group, and has continued to hint at deeper engagement. Civilian toll of the Israel-Iran conflict till now As political figures clash in Washington, the human cost of the conflict continues to rise. According to a Washington-based human rights group, Israeli airstrikes have resulted in at least 585 deaths in Iran, including 239 civilians. In retaliation, Iranian strikes have killed at least 24 Israelis and left hundreds injured. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Cruz has maintained that the regime in Tehran presents a danger to the US, citing previous threats to assassinate Trump, which Carlson disputed during their interview. Cruz later said on social media that Carlson had 'attacked' the US president and the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC during their sit-down. While Trump's leadership remains unchallenged within the GOP, the disagreement over whether to enter another conflict in West Asia is going to be a flashpoint in the future. With inputs from agencies
Newsweek
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
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: — 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."
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
Authorities investigating apparent murder suicide in Brockton, DA's office says
Taveras and Santos were pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said. Advertisement Investigators said security video from the inside and outside the apartment and witness statements indicated they were the only two people inside the apartment at the time of the shooting, Cruz's office said. Investigator also learned from witnesses that Taveras and Santos had a relationship and a history of domestic violence, Cruz's office said. Inside the apartment, investigators recovered a Glock 19 Gen 5 firearm with an optic sight attached and an empty magazine with one 9mm round in the chamber, the statement said. Nine shell casings and seven projectiles were also found in the apartment, Cruz's office said. The shooting remains under investigation by Brockton police and State Police investigators assigned to the district attorney's office, the statement said. Nick Stoico can be reached at
