Former President Donald Trump isn’t losing sleep over Tucker Carlson’s latest headline-making interview — even if much of the Republican Party is. Speaking with reporters on Sunday in an interview that aired on Fox News, Trump waved off concerns surrounding Carlson’s recent sit-down with far-right provocateur Nick Fuentes.
Carlson’s conversation with Fuentes on his podcast has been a hot media topic. Tucker’s decision to raise Fuentes’ profile has created a rift inside the conservative movement.
The President however is not piling on.
Donald Trump instead defended Carlson, noting that Carlson has spoken well of him over the years. When asked whether Carlson should have avoided interviewing Fuentes, Trump offered a familiar refrain: “You can’t tell him 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, people have to decide.”
Fuentes quickly seized on the moment, thanking Trump online, amplifying the clip of the exchange. Inside the conservative media ecosystem, Carlson’s interview with Fuentes hasn’t just raised eyebrows, it has rattled institutions. The Heritage Foundation saw internal backlash after its president initially defended Carlson’s right to conduct the interview before later condemning Fuentes’ ideology outright.
Trump, meanwhile, positioned Carlson’s guest choice as part of the broader media landscape. “Meeting people, talking to people…that’s what they do,” he said. “People are controversial.” Then, with classic Trumpian flourish, he added, “I’m not controversial, so I like it that way.”
This isn’t the first time Trump’s proximity to Fuentes has caused political turbulence. The two crossed paths at a 2022 Mar-a-Lago dinner with Kanye West, now referred to as Ye. That situation prompted condemnation from GOP leaders, including former Vice President Mike Pence.
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