Tucker Carlson has railed against individuals who are using the assassination of Charlie Kirk to further their own causes and ambitions.
The right-wing commentator did not call anyone out by name but asserted that the act, particularly when carried out by “foreign heads of state,” has been “disgusting” to witness.
“I don’t think it’s helpful for people to jump in, particularly foreign heads of state, to say, ‘This is what he lived for, my cause,’ or whatever,” Carlson told Vice President JD Vance during a special edition of The Charlie Kirk Show. “That’s disgusting. Actually, don’t do that. That turns everybody off. You don’t help your own cause by doing that. And it’s also literally untrue.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among the first world leaders to issue a statement after Kirk’s death. Carlson, who openly opposed U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites over the summer, also mentioned on Monday’s show that Kirk opposed a “regime change war against Iran.”
Many speculated that the “foreign heads of state” remark by Carlson—made back-to-back, during a brief segment on Monday’s show—was in reference to Netanyahu.
Netanyahu posted to X on the day of Kirk’s assassination: “Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization. I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place. We lost an incredible human being. His boundless pride in America and his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact. Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk.”
Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization. I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place.We lost an…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 10, 2025
Others have been accused of using Kirk’s death for their own interests. WIRED reported that extremist groups used Kirk’s murder to recruit and radicalize new members, and Utah’s Republican Gov. Spencer Cox called social media companies “conflict entrepreneurs” that reward provocateurs who induce outrage and division.
“I think now is exactly the wrong time to appropriate the memory of someone and the emotion that comes with that,” Carlson said. “The really intense emotion that all of us feel about his murder and use it for your own parochial ends.”
Vance, 41, did not chime in on the topic. He hosted Monday’s show from the White House and conducted brief interviews with administration officials, including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and her deputy, Stephen Miller.
Carlson told the VP that when he first met Kirk a decade ago, he struggled to take him seriously because of his age. Carlson pointed out that Kirk, who died at 31, is similar in age to his son, Buckley, who is Vance’s deputy press secretary.
“Over the years that I knew him, more than 10 years, I ended up learning from him,” Carlson said. “And I’m not just saying this because he’s passed. I mean that sincerely. And the main thing that I learned from him was how to disagree with people on topics that you take very seriously and that they take very seriously, without hating them, without feeling bitterness.”
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