Washington, DC — US President Donald Trump has defended conservative commentator and journalist Tucker Carlson after his recent interview with right-wing activist and Israel critic Nick Fuentes.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that "you can't tell him (Carlson) who to interview."
"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," Trump said. "People have to decide."
Trump recalled the "good interviews" he had with Carlson over the years, saying that if he wants to interview Fuentes, "then people have to decide."
Carlson, who for many months has been at odds with Fuentes, hosted him on October 27 and discussed multiple issues, including their own feud, political violence and Israeli influence in the United States.
Fuentes, who said before that he has a Mexican origin, was one of the first right-wing activists to criticise Israel's genocide in Gaza. His criticism of Israel's influence over the US grew further after Washington struck Iran's nuclear facilities during its 12-day conflict with Tel Aviv.
The president of the far-right think tank, the Heritage Foundation, defended Carlson for the interview, drawing outrage from staffers.
He later apologised for siding with Carlson.
Growing Israel criticism among US conservatives
This wasn't the first time Trump was asked about Fuentes. In 2022, he hosted Fuentes at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, along with the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.
After the meeting caused a ruckus in US media, Trump said he knew nothing about Fuentes and didn't know he was coming with Ye.
Fuentes has criticised Trump himself for supporting Israel at the cost of the Americans and has divorced himself from the MAGA movement shortly before the US presidential election in 2024.
Similar to Fuentes, Carlson has been growing increasingly critical of Israel in recent months over its influence on the US and the genocide in Gaza.
His criticism of Israel has led to Zionist figures in the US, including Mark Levin and Ben Shapiro, to accuse him of anti-Semitism.
Candace Owens, another right-wing commentator and Israel critic, said that Carlson's appearance on TPUSA led to pro-Israel lobbies and groups pulling support from the conservative organisation, which made some argue it had something to do with Charlie Kirk's assassination.
