Tucker Carlson clashes with Sen. Ted Cruz: 'You don't know anything about Iran'

WASHINGTON — Right-wing media property Tucker Carlson clashed with Ted Cruz successful an interrogation and posted a clip Tuesday night wherever the legislator was incapable to reply questions about Iran.

"How galore radical unrecorded successful Iran, by the way?" Carlson asked the Texas Republican.

"I don't cognize the population," Cruz responded.

"At all?" Carlson asked, prompting Cruz to reiterate that helium did not know. "You don't cognize the colonisation of the state you question to topple?"

Asked again however Cruz did not cognize Iran's population, the legislator responded, "I don't beryllium astir memorizing colonisation tables." (The CIA estimated successful 2024 that the country's colonisation level sits astatine astir 88 million.)

The clip instantly caught occurrence online, with Carlson's station racking up implicit 22 cardinal views and thousands of comments, according to X analytics.

The clash underscores a broader divided wrong the MAGA movement implicit U.S. engagement successful the struggle betwixt Iran and Israel. One faction of the movement, including Carlson, has urged against U.S. intervention, coating the different broadside arsenic "warmongers." The much hawkish faction, which includes Cruz, has forcefully supported the U.S. backing Israel's efforts.

The struggle comes arsenic President Donald Trump weighs what helium volition do, with a elder medication authoritative telling NBC News Wednesday greeting that "all options stay connected the table." Asked astir imaginable U.S. strikes against Iran, Trump told reporters Wednesday, "I whitethorn bash it, I whitethorn not bash it."

Cruz said successful a Fox News interview connected Sunday that helium believed “it is precise overmuch successful the involvement of America to spot authorities change” successful Iran.

Also included successful the clip of Carlson's interview, which airs successful afloat connected Wednesday, the erstwhile Fox News big argued that Cruz's cognition astir Iran's colonisation was "kind of applicable due to the fact that you're calling for the overthrow of the government."

Moments later, Carlson asked Cruz for the taste premix of Iran.

"They are Persians and predominantly Shia," Cruz said, referring to a sect of Islam.

Carlson chopped successful to inquire for percentages, and Cruz retorted, "this is cute" arsenic the 2 men talked implicit each other. (Persians marque up Iran's largest taste group, but the state besides Azeri, Kurd, Lur and other groups, according to the CIA.)

"You don't cognize thing astir Iran," Carlson said, and the interrogation devolved into a heated, overlapping exchange.

After the clip was published, Cruz accused Carlson on X of releasing "a snippet playing a 'gotcha' connected the colonisation of Iran."

"I declined to play that silly game," helium continued, encouraging radical to ticker the afloat interrogation erstwhile it airs.

Trump has weighed successful connected Carlson's disapproval of imaginable U.S. strikes connected Iran, calling the erstwhile Fox News big "kooky."

"Somebody delight explicate to kooky Tucker Carlson that,” IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!” Trump said successful a station to Truth Social connected Tuesday before the interrogation clip was posted to X.

Asked by a newsman connected Monday for his effect to Carlson calling Trump "complicit" successful the struggle with Iran, Trump said, "I don’t cognize what Tucker Carlson is saying. Let him spell get a tv web and accidental it truthful that radical listen." Carlson near Fox News successful 2023.