Tucker Carlson turned Sen. Ted Cruz into a bigger punching bag than he already was and commentators on all sides of the political spectrum are eating it up.
The former Fox News host-turned-podcaster released two clips on Tuesday from his two-hour interview with the Texas senator, one of which saw him press Cruz to name Iran’s population and ethnic composition as the U.S. considers joining Israel in its barrage on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The senator floundered, unable to name how many people live in the country—“I don’t know the population”—and only providing a general idea of who lives in Iran.
“I’m not the Tucker Carlson expert on Iran,” Cruz said dismissively.
“You’re a senator who’s calling for the overthrow of the government and you don’t know anything about the country!” Carlson responded.
“No, you don’t know anything about the country!” Cruz shouted back.
Cruz on Tuesday, tried to preempt any further embarrassment by accusing Carlson of releasing a “gotcha” clip ahead of the full two-hour conversation.
“He released a snippet playing a “gotcha” on the population of Iran. I declined to play that silly game,“ Cruz wrote on X. ”WATCH the full 2-hr interview, where Tucker ATTACKS Trump, attacks the “AIPAC lobby,” & falsely claims Iran is NOT trying to assassinate Trump.”
He tried to double down on Wednesday, posting on X a mocked-up image of Carlson interviewing Star Wars protagonist Luke Skywalker about the destruction of the Death Star, a planet-destroying weapon created by the villainous Galactic Empire. “What is the population of the Death Star?” the Carlson graphic read.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 18, 2025
But both liberals and conservatives pounced on the contentious exchange to mock Cruz’s apparent ignorance, which came just two days after Cruz called for regime change in Iran on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.
“I’ve watched this like 20 times,” podcast host Van Lathan Jr wrote on X on Tuesday. “Carlson sets traps and Cruz walks into them like a Cancun vacation.”
“Tucker absolutely humiliates @tedcruz here holy s–t,” Pod Save America co-host Tommy Vietor wrote. He later added on Wednesday: “I haven’t seen @tedcruz get pummeled like this since Trump insulted his wife and father during the 2016 primary. If he keeps these interviews up, @TuckerCarlson is going to have to start selling body bags.”
I haven’t seen @tedcruz get pummeled like this since Trump insulted his wife and father during the 2016 primary. If he keeps these interviews up, @TuckerCarlson is going to have to start selling body bags. https://t.co/JLkNfKkOS2
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) June 18, 2025
“Ted Cruz gets absolutely roasted and he couldn’t deserve it more,” political commentator Matt Stoller wrote.
“Not knowing the population and ethnic makeup of the country you seek to topple is EXACTLY how we got Iraq to collapse into civil war,” right-wing journalist Saagar Enjeti posted. “Not everything is 2003 but the Neocons dangerous mix of hubris and ignorance is the same.”
Not knowing the population and ethnic makeup of the country you seek totopple is EXACTLY how we got Iraq to collapse into civil warNot everything is 2003 but the Neocons dangerous mix of hubris and ignorance is the same https://t.co/QMK7tEQTpg
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) June 18, 2025
“Dammit, why are Netanyahu, Trump, and now Ted Cruz making me like Tucker Carlson???” journalist Mehdi Hasan wrote. “This is EXCELLENT interviewing. If only more US interviewers asked pro-war politicians questions like this.”
And commentator Jemele Hill echoed that sentiment by posting a GIF that summed up her feelings about agreeing with Carlson.
When a terrible person commits good journalism https://t.co/QrkTfduTO9 pic.twitter.com/bsLKlhtQbd
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 18, 2025
The interview came as Carlson has become an effective leader of a sect in the MAGA movement against an interventionist approach to Israel’s war in Iran.
Carlson has openly feuded with other top conservatives, including radio host Mark Levin, and even named other top leaders he accused of goading President Donald Trump into war—including his former Fox News boss, Rupert Murdoch.
“Who are the warmongers? They would include anyone who’s calling Donald Trump today to demand air strikes and other direct US military involvement in a war with Iran,” Carlson wrote on Friday. “On that list: Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Rupert Murdoch, Ike Perlmutter and Miriam Adelson. At some point they will all have to answer for this, but you should know their names now.”
Trump, who dined with Levin earlier this month, has so far dismissed Carlson’s criticism about the U.S.’ involvement. He told reporters on Monday that he didn’t know what Carlson’s critiques were. “Let him go get a television network and say it so that people listen,” he said.
Trump later called Carlson “kooky” on Truth Social and reiterated his position that Iran shouldn’t have a nuclear weapon.
Carlson agreed—on one point. ““I’m a little kooky. I’ll concede that,” he told Bari Weiss’ The Free Press on Monday.
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