Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz Clash Over Iran

In a recent interview clip, Tucker Carlson, formerly of Fox News and now running his own program, engaged in a heated discussion with Texas Senator Ted Cruz regarding the U.S. role in the Israel-Iran conflict.

Leading up to the release on Wednesday, Carlson pressed Cruz on his support for a potential regime change in Iran. At one point, Carlson asked, “By the way, how many people live in Iran?” to which Cruz admitted, “I don’t know about the population.”

“Do you know the population of the country that is about to collapse?” Carlson continued. “Why didn’t you know that?”

Carlson further challenged Cruz’s understanding of the Iranian people’s ethnic makeup, expressing disbelief that a senator advocating for change in Iran lacked fundamental knowledge about the country.

“You know nothing about Iran… you’re a senator who’s asking for the government to be overthrown, and you know nothing about the country!” Carlson asserted.

In another section of the interview, Carlson raised concerns about Cruz seeming “not dependent” on the Israeli intelligence agency when it comes to spying activities on the U.S.

“Do you spy domestically in the US?” Carlson asked about Mossad.

“Oh, they probably do that, and we do the same, and I think our friends and allies are spying on each other,” Cruz responded.

After Cruz’s comments, Carlson looked taken aback, asking, “Is that okay for you?”

“As a conservative, I assume people act in rational self-interest,” Cruz replied, then posed a question to Carlson, “Is it conservative to pay people to spy on you?”

This line of questioning likely referred to the nearly $3.8 billion in military aid that the U.S. provides to Israel annually, as outlined in a memorandum of understanding from 2016.

This MOU, covering the years 2019-2028, includes a total of $38 billion, which breaks down into $500 million each year for various initiatives alongside $3.3 billion for missile defense systems.

• $33 billion in foreign military funding (FMF)
• $5 billion directed towards missile defense systems.

Cruz emphasized the idea that “friends are our spies,” expressing concerns about whether it’s in American interests for Israel to gather intelligence on the U.S. government, including the president.

“As you know, it happens, including the US president and a few presidents. And I just want to know if it’s okay. Why don’t American lawmakers acknowledge their client’s status? It’s a bit odd to not say that, but it seems you can’t say it,” Carlson interjected.