U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) pushed back on criticism from former Fox News host and current podcaster Tucker Carlson, who accused them of minimizing civilian casualties in Gaza and compared their views unfavorably to those of white nationalist Nick Fuentes because of their support of Israel’s military operations in the region.
In remarks to The New York Times, Carlson accused Huckabee and Cruz of “waving away civilian deaths as if they don’t matter” and “supporting the murder of children and innocent civilians.” When asked by the newspaper to clarify his claims, a representative for Carlson responded with an email that simply said “Gaza.”
Cruz dismissed the condemnation, telling the Times that they should spend their time “actually covering people who still matter.”
“Poor Tucker needs help,” Huckabee wrote. “He’s clearly circling the drain by saying something so outrageous. No sane person ‘advocates’ for the murder of children or civilians. Even the allegation is sick and evil.”
“Tucker apparently limits his compassion to the unfortunate souls who have died in Gaza as a result of the stubbornness of Hamas to release hostages and who murdered their own citizens and intentionally put them in front of military assets where they would be most likely to become victims of the war,” he stated.
The ambassador also accused Carlson of showing selective concern for victims of the conflict and criticized his “irrational hatred of Jews in general and Israel in particular.”
“One never hears Tucker lament the massacre and mutilation of 1200 women, babies and elderly people butchered by Hamas on Oct. 7 or the torture, rape and starvation of the 251 hostages taken and held by Hamas,” Huckabee wrote. “I am heartbroken by the slaughter of innocent civilians wherever they are and whoever they are.”
“The Tucker Carlson I once knew has become someone unrecognizable,” he added. “I pray he finds himself and God. He has become a very angry and bitter man, and it’s truly tragic to watch.”
