Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, came to Tucker Carlson’s defense after comments he made about radical Islam triggered a wave of criticism online.
Carlson, the former Fox News host, said 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.” The remark drew immediate pushback on social media, including from Laura Loomer, a far-right, anti-Muslim political activist.
Greene responded on X with a post supporting Carlson, saying she had “seen a bunch of America Last accounts attacking Tucker so I’m making it clear that I’m proudly friends with Tucker Carlson.” She added that “he is a man of sincere faith, loves his family, and our country. America First is winning.”
Why It Matters
Tensions inside President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement have been building, and this dispute is the latest flashpoint. Carlson’s recent interview with far-right commentator Nick Fuentes drew widespread backlash, and Greene’s break with Trump has amplified speculation about fractures within the broader coalition.
Those divisions are especially sharp on foreign policy—particularly U.S. support for Israel during its war with Hamas. Carlson and Greene are closely aligned with the “America First” wing, which opposes deeper U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts. Other Republicans have leaned hard into pro-Israel messaging and argue that strong, public backing is essential.
In recent months, conservatives in Carlson’s orbit have increasingly challenged continued U.S. support for Israel, as debate grows over Israel’s role in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
What To Know
During the podcast conversation, host Harrison Berger cited a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) poll from AmFest that reportedly listed “radical Islam” as the audience’s top perceived threat to America. Berger then asked Carlson why he believes that view has taken hold, referencing Carlson’s past claims that the narrative is “an op” and that “we all know which foreign government it’s actually coming from.”
Carlson replied: “It comes from the Israeli government and its many defenders and informal employees in the United States, of course,” adding that he prefers assessing threats “more empirically.”
He then made his most controversial assertion: “I don’t know anyone in the United States in the last 24 years who’s been killed by radical Islam.” Carlson contrasted that with what he described as more immediate problems affecting Americans, including suicide, overdose deaths, unemployment, and the impact of “Adderall and video games and porn.”
Carlson went further, arguing that he sees “millions of Americans being destroyed” and that “none of it is at the hands of radical Islam,” framing cultural and economic issues as more pressing than terrorism.
The comments sparked backlash online, with critics pointing to cases such as the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida, which was carried out by Omar Mateen, who pledged allegiance to ISIS during the attack—an example they cited as directly contradicting Carlson’s broader point.
What People Are Saying
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…” She claimed Carlson is “denying that Islamic terrorism has resulted in the murder of a single American citizen since 9/11,” calling it “an egregious lie,” and added: “I guess Tucker forgot how we kicked off January 1, 2025 with an ISIS terror attack in New Orleans.”
After Greene defended Carlson, Loomer fired back: “Marjorie Traitor Greene says you are ‘America Last’ if you dare to challenge Tucker QATARLSON’S absurd and false claim…” She added: “If he’s a man of faith & country, why is he running cover for Islamic terrorists?”
Conservative 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.”
Will Chamberlain, Senior Counsel at the Article 3 Project and Internet Accountability Project, wrote on X: “’Radical Islam isn’t a threat to anyone!’” and argued the threat is reflected in security measures and violent incidents he attributed to extremist ideology, adding that Carlson may be “insulated from the consequences” while “the rest of us aren’t.”
What Happens Next
With midterm elections approaching next year, divisions on foreign policy, national security, and cultural issues are likely to keep surfacing—especially as prominent figures on the right continue to clash publicly over what “America First” should mean in practice.
