Well, things got real spicy Tuesday when Senator Ted Cruz and Tucker Carlson—two of the most influential voices in the conservative movement—went toe-to-toe over Iran in an interview that quickly devolved into a shouting match. The sit-down, which was meant to explore U.S. policy in the Middle East, ended up exposing a deep and growing split on the right: should America help Israel crush the Iranian regime, or stay far, far away?
Carlson, now a firebrand voice outside of Fox News, has been openly critical of President Trump’s support for Israel’s preemptive strikes on Iran. He’s argued that the U.S., by supplying arms and aid, is effectively complicit. Senator Cruz, meanwhile, isn’t backing down. He’s fully aligned with Trump, warning that any Iranian attack on U.S. personnel or interests will be met with “overwhelming force.”
But then came the fireworks. Carlson, clearly trying to make a point about foreign policy ignorance, asked Cruz a deceptively simple question: “How many people live in Iran?” Cruz admitted he didn’t know. Carlson, pouncing, responded, “You don’t know the population of the people you’re trying to topple?” Then, with a smug grin, declared it was 92 million—though most estimates actually put it closer to 88 million. (Tucker didn’t mention that, of course.)
Cruz bristled and fired back. “Why is it relevant whether it’s 90 million or 80 million?” he shot back, clearly irritated by what he saw as a meaningless gotcha question. The exchange got more heated when Carlson asked about Iran’s ethnic composition and cut Cruz off mid-answer, declaring, “You don’t know anything about Iran!”
Cruz had had enough. He raised his voice and turned the tables, reminding Carlson that Iran’s regime literally tried to assassinate President Trump and other U.S. officials. “You’re the one who can’t figure out if it was a good idea to kill General Soleimani!” he snapped.
After the interview aired, Cruz took to X to defend himself, calling Carlson’s questions cheap shots and urging viewers to watch the full two-hour discussion. He accused Carlson of slamming Trump, attacking AIPAC, and whitewashing the Iranian regime’s efforts to harm U.S. leaders.
Here’s the reality: Cruz is right. Iran isn’t just some misunderstood nation with a complex culture—it’s a regime that’s tried to eliminate American leaders, funds global terrorism, and chants “Death to America” like it’s a national anthem. Carlson might be great at making headlines, but sometimes nuance doesn’t equal wisdom.
Bottom line? Conservatives need to debate strategy, not tear each other apart with soundbites and smug trivia.
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