Tucker Carlson has dismissed concerns from a prominent Republican who criticized his decision to feature Nick Fuentes on his widely followed show. This move has now led Carlson to challenge the GOP as a whole.

The ex-Fox News anchor found himself at the center of a storm of criticism after hosting Fuentes, a controversial figure known for his antisemitic remarks, on his podcast several weeks ago.

Fuentes has openly advocated for what he calls a ‘total Aryan victory’ and has incited a ‘holy war’ against Jewish people. His disturbing comments include offensive jokes comparing Holocaust victims to cookies in an oven.

Carlson’s support for Fuentes has sparked a broader debate within the Republican Party regarding the extent of its alignment with its far-right elements, which often espouse divisive and discriminatory views.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a staunch Christian, has made it clear there is no room for such extreme voices, criticizing Carlson for giving Fuentes a platform. Other key figures in the Republican establishment, including Carlson’s political adversary Senator Ted Cruz, have also condemned his actions.

But Carlson seems unbothered by his GOP critics and has increasingly distanced himself from the party. 

‘The Republican Party is almost to the point where it’s just useless and I’m gonna have to oppose it,’ Carlson told podcaster Shawn Ryan. ‘I hate them too much, because they’re such betrayers.’

‘You can’t take my tax dollars and then refuse to do anything about child molestation,’ Carlson continued. 

Tucker Carlson received lots of criticism for hosting antisemite Nick Fuentes on his podcast 

Speaker Mike Johnson said he spoke to Tucker Carlson about Nick Fuentes and told the former Fox News host that amplifying the antisemitic pundit was a ‘big mistake’ 

Johnson didn’t just keep his advice to himself, though. 

‘I spoke briefly with Tucker about that, and I think it’s a responsibility. He has a lot of listeners, and I think giving Nick Fuentes that platform is a big mistake,’ Johnson said this week in an interview with The Hill. 

However, Carlson did not appear to care about the speaker’s counsel.   

‘Well, obviously, I’m not sure if he agreed with me on that,’ Johnson continued.  

‘But we have different views on Israel, and, you know, we’ve talked about that.’

A new concern for Johnson is the emergence of antisemitism on the right. 

Fuentes and Carlson are both popular figures on the right, despite not having mainstream platforms. 

Fuentes has roughly half a million followers on the streaming service Rumble, where he hosts his show. Each episode regularly pulls in several hundred thousand views. 

Carlson has said that he has no regrets about hosting Fuentes

‘You know, do your own interview the way that you want to do it. You’re not my editor. Buzz off,’ Carlson said to Megyn Kelly when she pressed him on hosting Fuentes

‘WORLD JEWRY MEETING??? Shapiro and Bari Weiss Condemn Far Left and Far Right,’ one of Fuentes’s most recent episodes discussing Jewish media figures Ben Shapiro and Bari Weiss was titled. It garnered nearly a million views. 

Facing critiques in a recent interview with Megyn Kelly, Carlson noted that he has no regrets about hosting the antisemite. 

‘You know, do your own interview the way that you want to do it. You’re not my editor. Buzz off,’ Carlson shared. 

Meanwhile, Johnson doubled down on distancing the GOP from the controversial pundit. 

‘I was listening to a compilation of some of the worst things he said. It’s vile, terrible stuff. I mean, it’s not just antisemitic, it’s openly racist, it’s violent — things you can’t even repeat on the House floor,’ he told The Hill. 

Still, speech is protected, no matter how ugly, the speaker noted.   

‘All speech is to be protected, cherished as part of the hallmark of America. So, Tucker and everyone else have their right to free speech, and Nick Fuentes has a right to free speech,’ Johnson continued. ‘What I’m saying is that we have a responsibility. With that freedom comes responsibility, and our responsibility is not to amplify that, not to give it a platform.’