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By Marni Rose McFall
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Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, defended Tucker Carlson after remarks he made about radical Islam sparked backlash online.
The former Fox News host recently said during an appearance on The American Conservative podcast that he doesn't know "anyone in the United States in the last 24 years who’s been killed by radical Islam."
His remarks have prompted backlash online, including from Laura Loomer, a far-right and anti-Muslim political activist.
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However, Greene posted on X defending Carlson, writing that she's "seen a bunch of America Last accounts attacking Tucker so I’m making it clear that I’m proudly friends with Tucker Carlson," adding that "he is a man of sincere faith, loves his family, and our country. America First is winning."
Newsweek has contacted Carlson for comment outside of regular working hours via email.
Why It Matters
Some members within President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement may have entered the year united, but they’re ending it fractured, and this latest social media dispute is indicative of a schism. Notably, Carlson’s recent interview with the far-right commentator Nick Fuentes sparked widespread backlash, and Greene’s high-profile fallout with Trump has led to her resignation from Congress.
Conservatives have become split on multiple issues, with foreign policy and specifically, support of Israel amid its war with Hamas, one of the most prominent among them.
The “America First” faction of MAGA, which Carlson and Greene belong to, is against U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts. On the other side of the coin are staunch Republican supporters of Israel who applaud shows of strength and allyship.
Conservatives like Carlson have questioned the continued support of Israel by Republicans and the U.S. government more broadly. The long relationship between the U.S. and Israel has faced increasing scrutiny as Americans raise concerns about Israel’s role in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
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What To Know
During his podcast appearance, Harrison Berger asked Carlson: “TPUSA did a poll during AmFest in which they asked the audience what they considered to be the greatest threat to America. They did put 'radical Islam' at number one. I’m wondering where you think those sentiments are coming from. I’ve heard you say before that this is 'an op' and that 'we all know which foreign government it's actually coming from.' Which government is it and can you explain how that operation works? How is it laundered into our discourse?”
To this, Carlson responded: “It comes from the Israeli government and its many defenders and informal employees in the United States, of course. And I guess I would just say if that was actually, I don’t know how many people responded to the poll, I don’t know who answered it, but I believe in measuring reality a little more empirically.”
He continued: "I don’t know anyone in the United States in the last 24 years who’s been killed by radical Islam. I know a lot of people who have killed themselves. I know people who’ve died of drug ODs, more than a few. I know people who can’t get jobs. None of the boys in my daughter’s class can get jobs, none of those white boys can get jobs. They’re being destroyed by Adderall and video games and porn."
“I see millions of Americans being destroyed, and none of it is at the hands of radical Islam. Is radical Islam more dangerous than OnlyFans? It’s not even close. Turning some huge percentage of American women into prostitutes? That’s not radical Islam doing that, actually.”
The conservative political commentator said that he feels sorry for "anyone who believes that lie," adding that "it doesn’t reflect the lived reality of anyone I’ve ever met in the United States.”
Carlson’s assertion received criticism online, with social media users pointing to attacks including the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting in Florida where the shooter Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Muslim extremist, affirmed he was acting on behalf of the terrorist group, ISIS, as a contradiction to Carlson’s point.
What People Are Saying
Far-right and anti-Muslim political activist Laura Loomer wrote on X on Friday: "You have no idea how many powerful people have tried to threaten me to stop talking about @TuckerCarlson’s ties to Islam. I was the first person to identify the Islamic influence that has completely warped the mind of Tucker Carlson, and I have been warning everyone about this for a very long time. I came up with the name Tucker Qatarlson, and I made his controversy surrounding Qatar go completely mainstream. Now, @TuckerCarlson is denying that Islamic terrorism has resulted in the murder of a single American citizen since 9/11, which is an egregious lie. I hope everyone realizes how right I was. I guess Tucker forgot how we kicked off January 1, 2025 with an ISIS terror attack in New Orleans. I called it. Now everyone is realizing Loomer was right."
In response to Greene's X post defending Carlson, Loomer wrote: "Marjorie Traitor Greene says you are 'America Last' if you dare to challenge Tucker QATARLSON’S absurd and false claim that no American citizens have been killed by Islamic terrorism since 9/11. If he’s a man of faith & country, why is he running cover for Islamic terrorists?"
Conservative political commentator Meghan McCain wrote on X on Saturday: "We’re like 3 months away from Tucker Carlson telling everyone you’re a warmonger neocon if you don’t convert to Islam."
Senior Counsel at the Article 3 Project and Internet Accountability Project, Will Chamberlain, wrote on X: “'Radical Islam isn’t a threat to anyone!' It’s literally why 15 Jews, including a ten year old girl, got murdered on a beach in Sydney. It’s why a National Guardsman was murdered on the streets of Washington DC just a month ago. It’s why we have to take off our shoes at the airport. It’s why every synagogue and Jewish day school has to hire armed guards. Tucker may be insulated from the consequences of Muslim immigration as he hides away in his Maine cabin stewing about Netanyahu. The rest of us aren’t."
What Happens Next
Conservatives remain divided across key issues ahead of next year's midterm elections where it's currently unclear how these divisions will continue to influence the GOP.
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