...
By Mandy Taheri
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Tucker Carlson called out Republicans at Turning Point USA’s annual conference on Thursday for "attacking millions of Americans because they’re Muslim," condemning the move as "disgusting."
Why It Matters
AmericaFest is Turning Point USA’s annual conference that features conservative commentators, elected officials and media figures. This year’s gathering is the first since TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September.
Read More on News
Republicans and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement have faced internal divisions in recent months, public disagreements erupting among prominent figures over strategy, leadership and the direction of the party. Just weeks ago, President Donald Trump and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was a staunch Trump ally, had a notable falling out, showcasing divisions in the party.
What To Know
In a Thursday address at AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona, Carlson criticized some Republicans for "attacking millions of Americans because they're Muslims, it's disgusting. And I'm a Christian."
He added, "You should not attack people on those grounds, and you're seeing it from Republicans. What the hell are you doing? What you’re doing is trying to divide the country and I’ve lived through 50 years of this crap, all these fake race wars that they’re always promoting."
Some Republicans have used anti-Muslim rhetoric in recent comments, including calls for policies such as profiling individuals or removing Muslims from the country. Representative Randy Fine, a Florida Republican, said earlier this week that America should "kick them out," referring to Muslims.
Carlson's remarks came as Republicans, including factions within the MAGA movement, have aired disagreements in recent months. Also on Thursday, Ben Shapiro took aim at Candace Owens and Carlson during his opening remarks at the conference, which Carlson briefly addressed during his speech.
...
What People Are Saying
Laura Loomer said in an X post Friday: "Awkward silence from the audience at @TPUSA’s opening night of AmFest tonight as @TuckerCarlson used his speech to recruit people into supporting Islam. Tucker was met with virtually no cheers as he made excuses for Muslims, said Islam and Muslims are "mostly good" and that its evil to be anti-Islam. If you can’t see that Tucker Qatarlson has become a mouth piece for Islamic jihadists and Islamic sympathizers, then you aren’t paying attention or you’re caught up in the idea of what Tucker used to be. This is very bizarre behavior. Charlie Kirk said Islam was incompatible with the West, and he criticized Islam the day before he was assassinated. And now, Tucker is using Charlie’s platform to promote Islam."
Zaid Jilani, a journalist with nearly 150,000 followers on X, said in an X post Thursday night: "God bless Tucker for saying this. The right has gone off the rails with religious hatred."
**Cenk Uygur, host of the Young Turks, said in an X post Friday: "**People in traditional media act like they’re morally superior and people like @TuckerCarlson are driving hate. I can tell you that Muslim Americans have not seen anyone else in national media defend their humanity like this. We’ve seen the opposite from the supposedly moral ones."
What Happens Next
The conference's slate of speakers includes Vice President JD Vance, Steve Bannon, Donald Trump Jr. Speaker Mike Johnson, and others. AmericaFest will run through December 21.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines