Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has been widely mocked after clips from an interview with Jacob Rees-Mogg went viral. The former Fox News host made a series of claims about Britain's economy and the Second World War during the conversation with the ex-Tory minister.
Russia economy claim debunked
In one clip, Mr Carlson claimed Russia has a "much larger economy" than Britain, questioning why Moscow would want to go to war with London. Mr Rees-Mogg interjected: "No, it hasn't got a larger economy than Britain. It's got a smaller economy than Britain. It's got a larger military."
Mr Carlson responded by claiming Russia has a "much larger economy, much more wealth and resources and much larger manufacturing sector". Mr Rees-Mogg then noted Britain has a greater GDP than Russia. Russia's GDP is $2.66 trillion (£2.01 trillion), significantly less than Britain's $4.26 trillion (£3.22 trillion), according to International Monetary Fund figures.
Reactions from politicians and commentators
Daniel Hannan, Lord Hannan of Kingsclere, wrote on X: "Mogg 1, Tucker 0." The Tory peer, who is Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, added: "Russia's economy was smaller than Spain's before the war. Now it is probably smaller than Portugal's. God knows Britain has her problems, but they are nothing compared to what happens in Putin's bellicose kleptocracy."
Brent Scher, editor-in-chief of US outlet The Daily Wire, reacted: "This is absolutely priceless. Tucker [Carlson] just states as fact that Russia has a much larger economy than the UK, is completely wrong and gets schooled."
Second World War comments spark backlash
The exchange came during Mr Rees-Mogg's appearance on The Tucker Carlson Show podcast, in an episode titled "Tucker Confronts Britain's Most Pro-War Advocate." Mr Carlson suggested Britain's involvement in the Second World War was a mistake, claiming the country "destroyed their empire and their country fighting this war that they still pretend was a good idea, but it wasn't".
Mr Rees-Mogg said entering the conflict was "fundamental" and a "classic good-versus-evil" scenario. When Mr Carlson asked if Britain had benefited, Mr Rees-Mogg said Britain "did the right thing" and that without its intervention, "we'd all be speaking German". Mr Carlson replied "who cares?", claiming "there are a lot of people in Britain who can't speak English" and that "it would be nice to have like, at least a European language spoken in your country".
Republican Senator Ted Cruz wrote on X: "Yes, Tucker, the UK is better off for winning WWII. America is better off for winning WWII. And the world would be much worse off if the Nazis had won WWII. This is not complicated."
Mike Huckabee, US Ambassador to Israel, said: "When it seemed impossible for Toxic Tucker to descend deeper into the sewer here he goes opining that UK should have let Nazis take over. Forget that Hitler murdered 11 million people? I thought Tucker was against killing? He needs help. Serious help."
Mr Carlson is a former supporter of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement who fell out with Donald Trump earlier this year over the Iran war. In 2024, he became the first person from Western media to interview Vladimir Putin since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and has previously defended the Russian President.
