Former US President Donald Trump has publicly defended commentator Tucker Carlson following the firestorm over his interview with far-right activist Nick Fuentes, leading to a sharp exchange with a reporter.
Defence and Outburst
On Sunday evening, Trump was pressed by a journalist about his support for Carlson after the former Fox News host conducted a controversial interview with Fuentes, who is notorious for making anti-Semitic remarks and joking about the Holocaust.
The interview, published in October, has since amassed over 18 million views on the social media platform X and triggered significant condemnation from top conservative leaders, with many Republican lawmakers criticising Carlson for providing a platform to Fuentes.
Trump, however, rushed to Carlson's defence. 'Well, I found [Tucker] to be good. I mean, he said good things about me over the years. I think he's good. We've had some good interviews,' Trump stated.
The former president's remarks were suddenly interrupted, leading to an outburst directed at the journalist: 'Will you let me finish my statement? You are the worst! You’re with Bloomberg, right? You are the worst! I don’t know why they even have you.'
The 2022 Thanksgiving Dinner
After resuming his statement, Trump argued that Carlson should be free to interview whomever he chooses. 'You can't tell him who to interview. I mean, if he wants to interview Nick Fuentes, I don't know much about him, but if he wants to do it, get the word out. Ultimately, people have to decide,' he said.
When a reporter followed up by asking about his own dinner with Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago in November 2022, Trump claimed he 'didn't know he was coming' because he arrived with the rapper Kanye West.
'Well, I didn't know he was coming and he was with, as you know, somebody, Kanye. And Kanye asked if he could have dinner and he brought Nick. I didn't know Nick at the time,' Trump explained, adding that Fuentes came along with a few other people.
The Thanksgiving dinner occurred amid a series of anti-Semitic remarks from West. It was reported that during the meal, West suggested he might run for president with Trump as his vice-presidential nominee, an idea that allegedly frustrated Trump and led to the dinner ending shortly after.
Fallout and Reaction
Trump's decision to dine with Fuentes and West prompted widespread condemnation from Republican leaders at the time, including former Vice President Mike Pence, who accused Trump of giving 'a white nationalist, an anti-Semite and Holocaust denier, a seat at the table.'
Fuentes, who has been critical of Trump in the past and encouraged his 'Groypers' supporters not to back him in the 2024 election, responded to Trump's latest remarks by thanking the president in a post to his 1.1 million followers on X.
This defence of Carlson and Fuentes comes as Trump's administration has threatened to pull funding from universities allowing pro-Palestinian protests during the Israel-Hamas war. Interestingly, Carlson has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration's foreign policy, including its stance on Venezuela.
