Major Controversies Surrounding Tucker Carlson: A Detailed Timeline
Public opinion and media debates around Tucker Carlson—discover key moments of controversy.
Tucker Carlson is an American conservative political commentator and conspiracy theorist. He hosted Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News from 2016 to 2023 and currently hosts Tucker on X and The Tucker Carlson Show. A supporter of Donald Trump, Carlson has been called a leading voice in right-wing media and of white grievance politics. His commentary and views have made him a highly influential figure in conservative media.
1999: Interviewed George W. Bush
In 1999, Tucker Carlson interviewed then-Governor George W. Bush for Talk magazine, quoting Bush mocking Karla Faye Tucker, which led to bad publicity for Bush's 2000 presidential campaign.
2003: Public Support for the U.S. Invasion of Iraq
In 2003, Tucker Carlson publicly supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a decision he later expressed regret for.
October 2004: Jon Stewart on Crossfire
In October 2004, Jon Stewart appeared on Crossfire and criticized the show, singling out Tucker Carlson and leading to discussions about its impact on political discourse.
2004: Criticism of the Iraq War and George W. Bush
In 2004, a year after the invasion of Iraq, Tucker Carlson wrote a commentary in Esquire criticizing George W. Bush and the Iraq War.
2006: Use of Derogatory Language
From 2006 to 2011, Tucker Carlson used derogatory language towards women, including the words "pig" and "cunt", on the radio show Bubba the Love Sponge.
2006: Homophobic Comments on Radio
In 2006, Tucker Carlson made homophobic comments during a radio conversation with Bubba the Love Sponge, using the word "faggot" to describe their affection for each other.
2006: Racist Comments
In 2006, Tucker Carlson made racist comments, revealed in 2019 by Media Matters for America, including describing Iraq as being full of "semi-literate primitive monkeys" and "lunatic Muslims who are behaving like animals".
2007: Description of Beating Up 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 emails sent between members of JournoList, leading to controversy and the resignation of Dave Weigel from The Washington Post.
2011: Use of Derogatory Language
From 2006 to 2011, Tucker Carlson used derogatory language towards women, including the words "pig" and "cunt", on the radio show Bubba the Love Sponge.
2011: Protest outside Carlson's house
In 2011, protestors gathered outside Carlson's home in Washington, D.C. to protest Carlson.
2011: Slurs on air
Until around 2011, Tucker Carlson made slurs on air that have been described by some as racist and sexist, provoking advertiser boycotts.
March 2016: Criticism of Mitt Romney's Denunciation of Donald Trump
In March 2016, Tucker Carlson criticized Mitt Romney for denouncing Donald Trump's response to questions about David Duke's support.
July 2017: Statement that Iran Poses No Domestic Threat to the U.S.
In July 2017, Tucker Carlson stated that "we actually don't face any domestic threat from Iran" during an interview.
2017: Statement of Disapproval of White Supremacy
In 2017, Tucker Carlson stated that he does not approve of white supremacy.
April 2018: Questioning Assad's Responsibility in the Douma Chemical Attack
In April 2018, Tucker Carlson questioned whether Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the Douma chemical attack.
August 2018: Allegations about South African Government Targeting White Farmers
In August 2018, Tucker Carlson alleged that the South African government was targeting white farmers and falsely stated the president changed the constitution to allow land thefts. These claims were debunked by multiple news organizations as false or misleading.
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: Darren Beattie Fired as Trump Speechwriter
In 2018, Darren Beattie, who later appeared on Carlson's show, was fired as a Trump speechwriter after CNN inquired about his attendance at a white nationalist gathering.
2018: Criticism of China's Treatment of Muslims
In 2018, Tucker Carlson criticized China's treatment of Muslims.
2018: Denial of Racism and Promotion of White Grievance Politics
In 2018, Tucker Carlson denied being a racist while promoting white grievance politics in his commentary.
2018: Comments on Mass Immigration
In 2018, Tucker Carlson described the effects of mass immigration on the United States using the terms dirtier, poorer, and more divided. He also questioned whether diversity is a strength, citing Hazleton, Pennsylvania, as an example of negative impact due to rapid demographic changes.
2018: Carlson incorrectly argues Donald Trump was victim of extortion by Karen McDougal
In 2018, Tucker Carlson incorrectly argued that Donald Trump had been a victim of extortion by Karen McDougal.
2018: Protestors gather in front of Carlson's home
In late 2018, protestors gathered in front of Carlson's home.
March 2019: Calls to fire Carlson from Fox News
In March 2019, there were calls to fire Tucker Carlson from Fox News after Media Matters resurfaced controversial remarks he had made. His ratings rose eight percent that week despite the boycotts.
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, calling Mexico a "hostile foreign power."
May 2019: Comments on Illegal Workers
In May 2019, Tucker Carlson stated 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."
June 2019: Defense of Trump's Friendship with Kim Jong-un
In June 2019, Tucker Carlson defended Donald Trump's friendship with Kim Jong-un, stating that leading a country "means killing people."
June 2019: Influence in Dissuading Trump from Military Strikes Against Iran
In June 2019, Tucker Carlson reportedly played an influential role in dissuading Donald Trump from launching military strikes against Iran.
July 9, 2019: Criticism of Ilhan Omar
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". This was described as "racially loaded" and "full of anti-immigrant rhetoric".
September 10, 2019: Lobbying for the Firing of John Bolton
On September 10, 2019, Donald Trump fired John Bolton after Tucker Carlson lobbied Donald Trump to fire his national security advisor.
November 2019: Repeating Claims About the Douma Chemical Attack and Questioning the Khan Shaykhun Attack
In November 2019, Tucker Carlson repeated claims about the Douma chemical attack and questioned whether the attack had happened at all. He also suggested that the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack was a false flag operation.
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.
December 2019: False Claims About Immigrants and the Potomac River
In December 2019, Tucker Carlson falsely claimed that immigrants were responsible for making the Potomac River "dirtier and dirtier".
2019: Media Matters Release of Racist Comments
In 2019, Media Matters for America released recordings of racist comments Tucker Carlson made in 2006. These comments included calling Iraq a country of "semi-literate primitive monkeys" and "lunatic Muslims who are behaving like animals".
2019: Criticism of LeBron James for Speaking Out Against Daryl Morey
In 2019, Tucker Carlson criticized LeBron James for speaking out against Daryl Morey, who tweeted in support of the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests.
2019: Criticism of Hedge Funds and Praise for Elizabeth Warren's Economic Plan
In 2019, Tucker Carlson criticized hedge funds, singling out Republican donor Paul Singer, and private equity firms. He praised Elizabeth Warren's economic plan and called her book "one of the best books I've ever read on economics."
2019: Accusations of Great Replacement Conspiracy Theory Endorsement
In 2019, Tucker Carlson was accused of endorsing the Great Replacement conspiracy theory by commentators and organizations like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) due to his comments on immigration and demographics.
May 2020: Public Questioning of COVID-19 Severity
By May 2020, Tucker Carlson began to publicly question the severity of the COVID-19 virus after previously warning about its seriousness.
July 2020: Head writer Blake Neff resigns
In July 2020, Tucker Carlson's head writer Blake Neff resigned after CNN Business reported on his racist, sexist, and homophobic posts.
August 2020: Defense of Kyle Rittenhouse
In August 2020, Carlson aired segments defending Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot three protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
October 2020: Carlson alleges someone is reading his text messages
In October 2020, Tucker Carlson alleged on his show that someone was reading his text messages after documents he claimed had compromising information on Hunter Biden were lost by UPS.
November 20, 2020: Promotion of the COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory
On November 20, 2020, Tucker Carlson hosted Li-Meng Yan on his show to promote the COVID-19 lab leak theory, which claims COVID-19 was made in a Chinese laboratory and escaped from the lab.
2020: Fox News defends Carlson's hyperbole in slander lawsuit
In 2020, Fox News successfully defended Tucker Carlson in a slander lawsuit by Karen McDougal, citing his use of hyperbole as a rhetorical device.
2020: Criticism of the Assassination of Qasem Soleimani
In 2020, Tucker Carlson criticized the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, calling it a "quagmire".
2020: Calling Bob Iger a "propagandist" for the Chinese Communist Party
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: Response to Head Writer's Firing for Hateful Blog Posts
In 2020, after Neff, his head writer, was fired for hateful blog posts, Tucker Carlson said the posts had "no connection to the show".
2020: Tucker Carlson Tonight Becomes Highest-Rated Cable News Show
Starting the week of June 8-14, 2020, Tucker Carlson Tonight became the highest-rated cable news show in the U.S., with an average of four million viewers, amidst controversy and advertising boycotts.
2020: Doubts About Stolen Election
Throughout 2020, Tucker Carlson privately doubted the false claims that the election was stolen and mocked Trump advisors, including Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell.
2020: Election Fraud Allegations
Throughout 2020, Tucker Carlson raised false allegations of fraud in the election, including mentioning purportedly dead individuals who voted in Georgia, and later apologized for the error. He acknowledged the election would not produce a Trump victory.
January 26, 2021: Interview with Mike Lindell
On January 26, 2021, Tucker Carlson brought on Mike Lindell, whose company My Pillow was the largest advertiser on Tucker Carlson Tonight, 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.
February 2021: Carlson alleges no white supremacists responsible for January 6 attack
In February 2021, Tucker Carlson claimed there was no evidence that white supremacists were responsible for the January 6 United States Capitol attack, a statement PolitiFact rated as false. Carlson also inaccurately stated that no one in the crowd on January 6 was carrying a firearm.
March 2021: Ridicule of Maternity Flight Suits
In March 2021, Tucker Carlson ridiculed maternity flight suits for U.S. women soldiers and described a decision by the Chinese military to build ships as "more masculine," leading to a rebuke by the U.S. military.
March 2021: Statements on the Latin American Immigration Crisis and Spain
In March 2021, Tucker Carlson stated that issues like the Latin American immigration crisis should be blamed on "other colonial powers centuries ago" and suggested Spain should send back the gold in its central bank.
June 2021: Carlson promotes conspiracy theory about Capitol storming
In June 2021, Tucker Carlson promoted a conspiracy theory alleging the Capitol storming was a "false flag" FBI operation. He also said Vladimir Putin raised "fair questions" about the fatal police shooting of a rioter.
June 28, 2021: Carlson claims NSA is spying on him
On June 28, 2021, Tucker Carlson claimed on his program that a whistleblower informed him the NSA was monitoring his communications and planning to leak them to take his show off the air. A producer filed a FOIA request with the NSA that same day.
July 2021: Time writer describes Carlson's rhetorical strategy
In July 2021, Charlotte Alter of Time wrote that Tucker Carlson sometimes tells "outright falsehoods", but generally sticks to innuendo to avoid assertions that are factually disprovable.
July 2021: Suggesting Voter Fraud in Fulton County
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. PolitiFact found no evidence to substantiate his conclusion.
August 2021: Travel to Hungary and Praise for Viktor Orbán
In August 2021, Tucker Carlson traveled to Hungary, broadcasting from Budapest, praising the country and Viktor Orbán's policies.
August 2021: NSA inspector general examines Carlson's allegation
In August 2021, the NSA inspector general's office announced it was examining Tucker Carlson's allegation that the agency was spying on him.
October 2021: Carlson releases 'Patriot Purge' series
In October 2021, Tucker Carlson released 'Patriot Purge', a three-part series on Fox Nation, promoting the conspiracy theory that the January 6 attack was a government false flag operation. The series was criticized for containing falsehoods and conspiracy theories, leading to resignations from Fox News contributors.
December 2021: Comments on Gender Differences
In December 2021, Tucker Carlson commented on gender differences, stating that "Men and women are very different, extremely different. Society is built on their differences," while discussing the falling labor participation rate of U.S. men.
2021: Criticism of Pete Buttigieg's Paternity Leave
In 2021, Tucker Carlson belittled the paternity leave taken by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, joking about Buttigieg "trying to figure out how to breastfeed".
2021: Description of "The Great Replacement"
In 2021, Tucker Carlson described "demographic replacement" as "The Great Replacement", using white nationalist terminology.
January 6, 2022: Ted Cruz apologizes to Carlson for calling Capitol storming a "terrorist attack"
On January 6, 2022, the anniversary of the Capitol attack, Senator Ted Cruz appeared on Tucker Carlson's show and apologized for calling the event a "terrorist attack" after previously being criticized by Carlson.
January 2022: Release of 'Hungary vs. Soros' on Fox Nation
In January 2022, Tucker Carlson released the film "Hungary vs. Soros" on Fox Nation, promoting conspiracy theories about George Soros.
February 2022: Support for Canada Convoy Protest
In February 2022, Tucker Carlson supported the Canada convoy protest against COVID-19 restrictions, calling it "the single most successful human rights protest in a generation".
April 2022: New York Times publishes "American Nationalist" series
In April 2022, The New York Times released a three-part investigative series called "American Nationalist" which documented Carlson's rise and rhetoric on controversial topics. Carlson responded by dismissing the series and denying allegations about focusing on ratings.
September 2022: Comments on the British Empire After Queen Elizabeth II's Death
In September 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Tucker Carlson commented on the British Empire, stating it had brought civilization to regions it occupied with "decency unmatched by any empire in human history".
October 11, 2022: Leaked Kanye West Interview Footage
On October 11, 2022, unaired footage from Tucker Carlson's interview with Kanye West was leaked, revealing West expressing Black Hebrew Israelite views, claiming he'd received a COVID-19 vaccine, and making claims about child actors and his children's schooling. This was scrutinized after West made antisemitic statements.
November 2022: Scrutiny After Colorado Springs Shooting
In November 2022, Tucker Carlson's promotion of inflammatory rhetoric about LGBTQ controversies was scrutinized following the Colorado Springs nightclub mass shooting.
2022: Bump argues Carlson is loath to acknowledge factual errors
In 2022, Philip Bump argued that compared with other television anchors, Tucker Carlson is loath to acknowledge factual errors in his commentary.
2022: Airing Edited Kanye West Interview
In 2022, Tucker Carlson aired an edited version of an interview with Ye (Kanye West) where West discussed wearing "White Lives Matter" shirts and his pro-life stance, after West had been seen wearing the shirts at Paris Fashion Week.
2022: Release of The End of Men
In 2022, Tucker Carlson released "The End of Men", a Tucker Carlson Original, alleging a decline in American masculinity and featuring Raw Egg Nationalist, an author affiliated with Neo-Nazi publishing house Antelope Hill.
2022: Response to Criticism of Carlson's Show on Race
In 2022, Tucker Carlson responded to a report criticizing his show by stating his belief in judging people by their actions, not skin color, citing Martin Luther King Jr.
2022: Defense of Vladimir Putin Leading Up to the Invasion of Ukraine
In 2022, Tucker Carlson was noted for defending Vladimir Putin in the lead-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
2022: Denial of Great Replacement Beliefs
In 2022, Tucker Carlson, despite past comments, challenged accusations that he believes in the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, calling its existence a "hoax" after it was invoked by white supremacist mass shooters.
March 2023: Ray Epps demands retraction from Carlson
In March 2023, an attorney for Ray Epps, a pro-Trump protestor, demanded a public retraction from Tucker Carlson for falsely claiming Epps was a federal agent instigating the January 6 attack, which led to threats and harassment against Epps and his wife.
May 9, 2023: Carlson announces relaunch of show on Twitter
On May 9, 2023, Tucker Carlson said he would relaunch his show on Twitter, alleging breach of contract by Fox executives.
June 6, 2023: Tucker on Twitter releases first episode
On June 6, 2023, the first episode of Tucker on Twitter was released, featuring controversial claims.
September 6, 2023: Interview with Larry Sinclair
On September 6, 2023, Carlson interviewed Larry Sinclair, who made controversial claims about Barack Obama; the interview was criticized by many.
November 2023: Carlson appeared with Santiago Abascal in support of the 2023 Spanish protests.
In November 2023, after Carlson appeared with Santiago Abascal in support of the 2023 Spanish protests, Mamela Fiallo's rebuttal article in La Gaceta was retracted.
2023: Criticism of Wind Power in New Jersey and New York
In 2023, Tucker Carlson, along with Clean Ocean Action and multiple Republicans, criticized New Jersey and New York's use of wind power, falsely claiming it contributed to whale deaths.
2023: Carlson airs security video from Capitol attack
In early 2023, Tucker Carlson aired portions of security surveillance video from the day of the Capitol attack, portraying it as "peaceful chaos." This led to condemnation from the family of Brian Sicknick and politicians from both parties.
September 2, 2024: Controversial Podcast on Tucker on X
On September 2, 2024, Carlson hosted Darryl Cooper on Tucker on X, where Cooper endorsed Holocaust denial, causing controversy.
2024: Climate Change and Abortion
In 2024, Carlson dismissed the link between climate change and hurricanes, attributing the latter to abortion.
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