Major Controversies Surrounding Tucker Carlson: A Detailed Timeline

2003: Public Support for Iraq Invasion

In 2003, Tucker Carlson publicly supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a decision he would later express regret for.

October 2004: Jon Stewart on Crossfire

In October 2004, Jon Stewart appeared on Crossfire and criticized the show for harming political discourse in the U.S., singling out Tucker Carlson for criticism.

2004: Criticism of the Iraq War

In 2004, a year after the invasion of Iraq, Tucker Carlson wrote a commentary in Esquire accusing President Bush of weakness after the September 11 attacks and in the invasion of Iraq and said "Iraq is a crappy place filled with a bunch of, you know, semi-literate primitive monkeys, that’s why it wasn’t worth invading."

January 5, 2005: CNN Ends Carlson's Contract

On January 5, 2005, CNN chief Jonathan Klein told Tucker Carlson the network had decided not to renew his contract. CNN announced it was ending its relationship with Carlson and would soon cancel Crossfire.

2006: Uses slurs on air

Between 2006 and 2011, Tucker Carlson made remarks on race, immigration, and women – including slurs he said on air, leading to accusations of racism and sexism.

2006: Carlson uses homophobic language

In 2006, Tucker Carlson and Bubba the Love Sponge used the word "faggot" to describe their affection for each other during a radio conversation.

2006: Carlson makes racist comments

In 2006, Tucker Carlson made racist comments, including describing Iraq as a country of "semi-literate primitive monkeys" and "lunatic Muslims who are behaving like animals". These comments were later released in 2019.

2006: Carlson uses offensive language to describe women

In 2006, Tucker Carlson used the words "pig" and "cunt" to describe several individual women in remarks on the radio show Bubba the Love Sponge.

2007: Carlson describes beating up a gay man

In 2007, Tucker Carlson described an incident during high school of beating up a gay man who had made an advance on him in a public bathroom.

June 2010: The Daily Caller publishes JournoList excerpts

In June 2010, The Daily Caller published excerpts from e-mails sent between members of JournoList, leading to controversies and resignations.

2011: Uses slurs on air

Between 2006 and 2011, Tucker Carlson made remarks on race, immigration, and women – including slurs he said on air, leading to accusations of racism and sexism.

2011: Carlson uses offensive language to describe women

In 2011, Tucker Carlson used the words "pig" and "cunt" to describe several individual women in remarks on the radio show Bubba the Love Sponge.

2011: Protestors gathered outside Carlson's house

In 2011, a group of protestors gathered outside Tucker Carlson's house in Kent, Washington, D.C., to protest Carlson.

February 2012: The Daily Caller publishes exposé on Media Matters

In February 2012, The Daily Caller published an "investigative series" co-authored by Tucker Carlson, purporting to be an insiders' exposé of Media Matters for America.

October 2012: Carlson Publicizes Obama Video

In October 2012, Tucker Carlson publicized a 2007 video recording of then-Senator Barack Obama criticizing the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina.

2013: Carlson expressed discontent with the Episcopal Church

In 2013, Tucker Carlson publicly stated that he "despise[d] the Episcopal Church in a lot of ways," citing the church's support for same-sex marriage and abortion rights. Despite his opposition, he mentioned continuing to attend services due to his appreciation for the liturgy and the people.

March 2016: Criticism of Mitt Romney's Denunciation of Trump

In March 2016, Tucker Carlson criticized Mitt Romney for denouncing Trump's response to questions about David Duke's support, suggesting "Obama could have written this."

2016: Trump Campaign Purchases Subscriber List

In 2016, Donald Trump's presidential campaign purchased The Daily Caller's subscriber list for $150,000.

June 2017: The Daily Caller Paid by Trump Campaign

In June 2017, it was reported that The Daily Caller was paid $150,000 by Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign for its subscriber list, leading to conflict of interest allegations against Tucker Carlson.

July 2017: Claim About Domestic Threat from Iran

In July 2017, Tucker Carlson stated that "we actually don't face any domestic threat from Iran."

April 2018: Questioning Assad's Responsibility in Douma Chemical Attack

In April 2018, Tucker Carlson questioned whether Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the Douma chemical attack, which resulted in dozens of deaths.

July 2018: Claim About Mexican Interference in U.S. Elections

In July 2018, Tucker Carlson claimed that Mexico had interfered in U.S. elections "more successfully" than Russia by "packing our electorate" through mass immigration.

August 2018: Carlson alleges South African government targets white farmers

In August 2018, Tucker Carlson alleged that the South African government was targeting white farmers and falsely said the country's president had changed the constitution to allow land thefts from whites. This was widely described as false or misleading by news organizations.

November 2018: Protest Outside Carlson's Home

In November 2018, a "Smash Racism D.C." activist group protested outside Tucker Carlson's home in Washington, D.C., and his driveway was vandalized.

2018: Extortion Accusation

In 2018, Tucker Carlson accused Karen McDougal of extorting Donald Trump on his show.

2018: Criticism of China's Treatment of Muslims

In 2018, Tucker Carlson criticized China's treatment of Muslims.

2018: Denial of Being a Racist

In 2018, Tucker Carlson denied being a racist, stating, "I'm not a racist. I hate racism."

2018: Carlson describes mass immigration's effects

In 2018, Tucker Carlson described the effects of mass immigration on the United States as making it "dirtier, poorer, and more divided" and said it "has badly hurt this country's natural landscape." He also criticized multiculturalism.

2018: Protestors gathered in front of Carlson's home

In late 2018, protestors gathered in front of Tucker Carlson's home.

March 2019: Calls to Fire Carlson

In March 2019, there were calls to fire Tucker Carlson from Fox News after Media Matters resurfaced controversial remarks he had made to the radio show Bubba the Love Sponge.

May 2019: Carlson blames illegal workers for societal problems

In May 2019, Tucker Carlson claimed that "the flood of illegal workers into the United States has damaged our communities, ruined our schools, burdened our healthcare system and fractured our national unity."

May 2019: Defense of Trump's Tariffs on Mexico

In May 2019, Tucker Carlson defended Donald Trump's decision to place tariffs on Mexico unless Mexico stopped illegal immigration to the United States, stating, "When the United States is attacked by a hostile foreign power it must strike back, and make no mistake Mexico is a hostile foreign power."

June 2019: Defense of Trump's Friendship with Kim Jong-un

In June 2019, Tucker Carlson, who was touring with President Trump, defended Trump's friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Korean Demilitarized Zone, stating that leading a country "means killing people".

July 9, 2019: Carlson criticizes Ilhan Omar in monologue

On July 9, 2019, Tucker Carlson criticized Representative Ilhan Omar, accusing her of being ungrateful to the United States and calling her "living proof that the way we practice immigration has become dangerous to this country". The monologue was described as racially loaded.

November 2019: Repeating Claims about Douma Chemical Attack

In November 2019, Tucker Carlson repeated his claims about the Douma chemical attack and queried whether the attack had happened at all.

December 2019: Karen McDougal Sues Fox News

In December 2019, Playboy model Karen McDougal sued Fox News after Tucker Carlson accused her of extorting Donald Trump in a 2018 episode of his show.

December 2019: Carlson falsely claims immigrants pollute Potomac River

In December 2019, Tucker Carlson falsely claimed that immigrants were responsible for making the Potomac River "dirtier and dirtier."

2019: Media Matters releases recordings of racist comments

In 2019, Media Matters for America released recordings of racist comments Tucker Carlson made in 2006. These comments included his belief that Iraq was not worth invading because it was made up of "semi-literate primitive monkeys" and "lunatic Muslims who are behaving like animals".

2019: Criticism of LeBron James

In 2019, Tucker Carlson criticized LeBron James for speaking out against Daryl Morey, who had tweeted in support of the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests.

2019: Criticism of Hedge Funds and Private Equity

In 2019, Tucker Carlson criticized hedge funds, specifically calling out Republican donor Paul Singer, and also private equity firms, using Mitt Romney's Bain Capital as an example. He described the business model as exploitative and praised Elizabeth Warren's economic plan and her book "The Two Income Trap."

2019: Accusations of endorsing Great Replacement conspiracy theory

In 2019, Tucker Carlson was accused of endorsing the Great Replacement conspiracy theory by commentators and organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for accusing Democrats of supporting increased immigration to change the racial demographics of the United States.

2019: Statement About Rooting for Russia

In 2019, during a discussion about U.S. military aid to Ukraine during the Donbas War, Tucker Carlson stated on his show, "Why shouldn't I root for Russia? Which I am". He later claimed it was a joke and suggested siding with Russia over Ukraine.

May 2020: Carlson questions severity of COVID-19

By May 2020, Tucker Carlson began to publicly question the severity of the COVID-19 virus and criticized stay-at-home orders brought on by the pandemic.

July 2020: Head Writer Resigns

In July 2020, Tucker Carlson's head writer Blake Neff resigned after reports of racist, sexist, and homophobic posts he made under a pseudonym surfaced, leading to renewed scrutiny of Carlson's program.

August 2020: Defended Kyle Rittenhouse

In August 2020, Tucker Carlson aired segments defending Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot three protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

September 2020: Lawsuit Dismissed

In September 2020, a federal judge dismissed Karen McDougal's lawsuit against Fox News, citing that Carlson's extortion claims were opinion-based and not "statements of fact".

November 20, 2020: Promotion of COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory

On November 20, 2020, it was reported that Steve Bannon and Guo Wengui had brought Li-Meng Yan to America to promote the COVID-19 lab leak theory. Yan made appearances on Tucker Carlson's show to promote the theory.

2020: Criticism of Soleimani Assassination

In 2020, Tucker Carlson criticized the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, calling it a "quagmire."

2020: Carlson privately doubts election fraud claims

In 2020, Tucker Carlson privately doubted the false claims that the election was stolen and mocked Trump advisors, including Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. He also wanted Jacqui Heinrich fired for fact-checking claims about Dominion.

2020: Labeling Bob Iger as a "Propagandist"

In 2020, Tucker Carlson referred to the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger, as a "propagandist" for the Chinese Communist Party.

2020: Carlson raises false allegations of fraud in the election

In 2020, after Joe Biden won the election, Tucker Carlson raised false allegations of fraud. He also distanced himself from Trump's post-election legal fights, acknowledging that they would not produce a Trump victory.

2020: Response to Head Writer's Firing

In 2020, after his head writer, was fired for hateful blog posts, Tucker Carlson said of the posts, "They have no connection to the show. It is wrong to attack people for qualities they cannot control."

January 26, 2021: Carlson brings on Mike Lindell to criticize Dominion Voting Systems

On January 26, 2021, Tucker Carlson brought on Mike Lindell to criticize Dominion Voting Systems and claim it had "hired hit groups and bots and trolls" to target him following his Twitter account's permanent suspension for promoting unfounded fraud claims.

March 2021: Comments on Latin American Immigration Crisis and Spanish Colonial Legacy

In March 2021, Tucker Carlson blamed the Latin American immigration crisis on "other colonial powers centuries ago", particularly Spain, suggesting Spain should "send back the gold now sitting in its central bank."

March 2021: Carlson ridiculed maternity flight suits

In March 2021, Tucker Carlson was rebuked by the U.S. military after he ridiculed maternity flight suits for U.S. women soldiers and described a decision by the Chinese military to build ships as "more masculine".

July 2021: Carlson suggests voter fraud in Fulton County, Georgia

In July 2021, Tucker Carlson suggested that "there actually was meaningful voter fraud in Fulton County, Georgia, last November" despite the state's election results being validated via both hand and machine recounts. PolitiFact found that none of the evidence provided by Carlson substantiated his conclusion.

August 2021: Trip to Hungary and Praise for Viktor Orbán

In August 2021, Tucker Carlson traveled to Hungary, broadcasting from Budapest. He praised the country and its prime minister, Viktor Orbán, for their policies on asylum seekers, and dismissed claims that Orbán was authoritarian.

December 2021: Carlson comments on labor participation rate of U.S. men

In December 2021, Tucker Carlson commented on the falling labor participation rate of U.S. men, stating, "Men and women are very different, extremely different. Society is built on their differences."

2021: Carlson belittles Pete Buttigieg's paternity leave

In 2021, Tucker Carlson belittled the paternity leave taken by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, joking that Buttigieg could be "trying to figure out how to breastfeed".

2021: Promotion of 'Great Replacement' Conspiracy Theory

In 2021, Tucker Carlson described the "demographic replacement" conspiracy theory as "the Great Replacement", using white nationalist terminology.

January 2022: Release of 'Hungary vs. Soros' on Fox Nation

In January 2022, Tucker Carlson released the film "Hungary vs. Soros" on Fox Nation, which promoted conspiracy theories about George Soros and was described as "anti-American propaganda" by the Open Society Foundations.

February 2022: Carlson supports Canada convoy protest

In February 2022, Tucker Carlson supported the Canada convoy protest against COVID-19 restrictions and called it "the single most successful human rights protest in a generation".

April 2022: The New York Times published "American Nationalist" on Carlson

In April 2022, The New York Times released a three-part investigative series, "American Nationalist," scrutinizing Carlson's rise and rhetoric on immigration, race relations, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The report characterized Tucker Carlson Tonight as potentially "the most racist show in the history of cable news." Carlson dismissed the report and its allegations.

September 2022: Comments on the British Empire After Queen Elizabeth II's Death

In September 2022, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Tucker Carlson stated that the British Empire had brought civilization to regions it occupied with "decency unmatched by any empire in human history", a comment that drew criticism.

October 11, 2022: Vice publishes leaked unaired footage from Ye interview

On October 11, 2022, Vice's Motherboard published leaked unaired footage from Tucker Carlson's interview with Ye. In the unaired footage, West expressed Black Hebrew Israelite views, stated he had received a COVID-19 vaccine, and made claims about paid child actors. The footage was scrutinized after West made antisemitic statements on social media.

November 2022: LGBTQ controversies scrutinized after Colorado Springs shooting

In November 2022, Tucker Carlson's promotion of inflammatory rhetoric about LGBTQ controversies was scrutinized after the Colorado Springs nightclub mass shooting.

2022: Carlson questions Great Replacement conspiracy theory

In 2022, Tucker Carlson contradicted his previous endorsement of the Great Replacement conspiracy theory by questioning its popularity after it was invoked by multiple white supremacist mass shooters, including the 2019 El Paso shooting and the 2022 Buffalo shooting, and calling its existence a "hoax".

2022: Carlson releases The End of Men

In 2022, Tucker Carlson released "The End of Men", alleging a decline in American masculinity. The episode featured Raw Egg Nationalist, affiliated with Neo-Nazi publishing house Antelope Hill.

2022: Defense of Vladimir Putin

In 2022, Tucker Carlson was noted for defending Vladimir Putin in the lead-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

2022: Response to Criticism of Race

In 2022, in response to a New York Times report, Tucker Carlson stated that his show followed Martin Luther King Jr.'s ideals and that all people should be judged by their actions, not their appearance.

2022: Downplaying Russia's Military Buildup

In early 2022, Tucker Carlson downplayed Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's borders. Despite calling the invasion "awful", he promoted pro-Russian disinformation, including a conspiracy theory about U.S. biological weapons development in Ukraine. Russian state media used Carlson's broadcasts to support their messaging.

March 2023: Defended Trump after indictment

In March 2023, Tucker Carlson defended Donald Trump after he was indicted in New York, calling the indictment "election interference".

April 2023: Fired from Fox News

In April 2023, Fox News dismissed Tucker Carlson and canceled his show, Tucker Carlson Tonight. This decision was made by Lachlan Murdoch. The show had been one of the most-watched cable news programs in the country.

April 24, 2023: Dismissed from Fox News

On April 24, 2023, Fox News dismissed Tucker Carlson and the executive producer of his evening show.

June 6, 2023: Tucker on Twitter Released

On June 6, 2023, the first episode of Tucker on Twitter was released, featuring controversial claims.

August 23, 2023: Hosted Donald Trump on Tucker on X

On August 23, 2023, Tucker Carlson hosted Donald Trump on Tucker on X, formerly Twitter. This interview was deliberately scheduled to coincide with the first 2024 Republican debate, drawing attention away from the debate.

September 6, 2023: Interviewed Larry Sinclair on Tucker on X

On September 6, 2023, Tucker Carlson interviewed Larry Sinclair, who made controversial claims about Barack Obama, on Tucker on X. This interview drew criticism from many, including Elon Musk.

September 2023: Carlson interviews man who claims to have had sex with Barack Obama

In September 2023, Tucker Carlson interviewed a man who claimed to have had sex with Barack Obama.

2023: Carlson criticizes Episcopalianism

In 2023, Tucker Carlson harshly criticized Episcopalianism again, calling it "the shallowest faith tradition that’s ever been invented" and arguing that "It’s not even a Christian religion at this point".

2023: Criticism of Wind Power

In 2023, Tucker Carlson joined Clean Ocean Action and multiple Republicans in criticizing the use of wind power in New Jersey and New York. They falsely claimed it was contributing to whale deaths.

2023: Tucker Carlson Tonight Ends

In 2023, Tucker Carlson's contract with Fox News was terminated, ending his nightly political talk show Tucker Carlson Tonight.

February 2024: Interviews Vladimir Putin

In February 2024, Tucker Carlson became the first Western journalist to interview Vladimir Putin since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

February 2024: Interviewed Vladimir Putin

In February 2024, Tucker Carlson traveled to Russia to interview President Vladimir Putin. This was Putin's first one-on-one interview with a Western journalist since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, sparking backlash from other journalists.

September 2, 2024: Hosted Darryl Cooper on Tucker on X

On September 2, 2024, Tucker Carlson hosted Darryl Cooper, who endorsed Holocaust denial, on Tucker on X. This broadcast sparked significant controversy.

2024: Attributed hurricane increase to abortion

In 2024, Carlson dismissed the link between climate change and increased hurricanes, attributing it instead to abortion.

2024: Republican Debate Conflict

In 2024, Carlson hosted Donald Trump on 'Tucker on X' deliberately to conflict with the first 2024 Republican debate.