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, best known for hosting Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News from 2016 to 2023. After his departure from Fox News, he launched shows on X and his own platform. A strong supporter of Donald Trump, Carlson has become a prominent voice in right-wing media, advocating for Trumpism and often associated with white grievance politics. He has been recognized as a highly influential figure in conservative media.
2003: Support for Iraq Invasion
In 2003, Tucker Carlson publicly supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq, but has since expressed regret for this support.
October 2004: Jon Stewart's Appearance on Crossfire
In October 2004, Jon Stewart appeared on Crossfire and criticized the show's format and its impact on political discourse, singling out Tucker Carlson for criticism.
2004: Statement Against Nanny-State Regulations
In 2004, Tucker Carlson expressed his opposition to what he termed "nanny-state regulations," specifically citing seat belt laws and smoking bans as examples he disliked.
2004: Criticism of Bush and the Iraq War
In 2004, Tucker Carlson wrote a commentary in Esquire accusing Bush of weakness after the September 11 attacks and in the invasion of Iraq, criticizing the war.
2006: Racist Comments
In 2006, Tucker Carlson made racist comments, including that Iraq was not worth invading because he believed it to be a country made up of "semi-literate primitive monkeys" and "lunatic Muslims who are behaving like animals".
2006: Use of Homophobic Language
In 2006, Tucker Carlson used the word faggot in a radio conversation.
2007: Description of High School Incident
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.
May 25, 2010: Tucker Carlson denied access to JournoList
On May 25, 2010, Ezra Klein denied Tucker Carlson's attempt to join JournoList, an invitation-only liberal forum.
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.
2010: Carlson Made Controversial Statement About Michael Vick
After saying on Fox News in 2010 that Michael Vick "should have been executed" for dog fighting, Tucker Carlson stated that he is "not comfortable with the death penalty under any circumstances".
2011: Use of Offensive Language
In 2011, Tucker Carlson used the words pig and cunt to describe women on the radio show Bubba the Love Sponge.
2011: Protest outside Carlson's house in Washington, D.C.
In 2011, a group of protesters gathered outside Tucker Carlson's house in Kent, Washington, D.C., to protest him.
2011: Slurs on air
Tucker Carlson made remarks on race, immigration, and women that have been described as racist and sexist ending around 2011.
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, targeting Media Matters for America. The piece was criticized for relying on conjecture and lacking evidence.
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.
March 2016: Criticism of Mitt Romney's Denouncement of Trump
In March 2016, when Mitt Romney denounced Trump, Tucker Carlson criticized Romney and dismissed his speech by suggesting "Obama could have written this."
June 2017: The Daily Caller's subscriber list sold to 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 list of subscribers, raising conflict of interest concerns.
July 2017: Statement on Domestic Threat from Iran
In July 2017, Tucker Carlson stated that "we actually don't face any domestic threat from Iran".
2017: New York Times on Stewart's Criticism
In 2017, The New York Times referred to Jon Stewart's 2004 "on-air dressing-down" of Carlson as an "ignominious career [moment]" for Carlson, leading to the show's cancellation.
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.
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 said the country's president had changed the constitution to allow land thefts from whites.
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., vandalizing his driveway.
2018: Carlson accuses McDougal of extortion
In 2018, Tucker Carlson accused Playboy model Karen McDougal of extorting Donald Trump.
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 Conspiracy Theory
In 2018, Tucker Carlson denied being a racist, stating "I'm not a racist. I hate racism." However, he continued to promote the conspiracy theory that Democrats are seeking "demographic replacement" to increase their voter base, using white nationalist terminology.
2018: Comments on Mass Immigration and Multiculturalism
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 the benefits of multiculturalism.
2018: Carlson's incorrect argument about Donald Trump and Karen McDougal
In 2018, Tucker Carlson incorrectly argued that Donald Trump had been a victim of extortion by Karen McDougal, which later led to a slander lawsuit.
2018: Protestors gathered in front of Carlson's home
In late 2018, protestors gathered in front of Tucker Carlson's home.
2018: Promotion of Populist Economics
Since 2018, Tucker Carlson has promoted more populist economics, attacking libertarianism and stating "market capitalism is not a religion." He also portrayed some Republicans as "controlled by the banks."
January 2019: Criticism of Mainstream Republican Worldview
In January 2019, Tucker Carlson used a The Washington Post op-ed by Romney to criticize what he described as the "mainstream Republican" worldview, consisting of "unwavering support for a finance-based economy."
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 on the radio show 'Bubba the Love Sponge'.
May 2019: Defense of Trump's Tariffs on Mexico
In May 2019, Tucker Carlson defended 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: Statements on Illegal Workers
In May 2019, Tucker Carlson said, "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: Role in Dissuading Military Strikes Against Iran
According to The New York Times, in June 2019, Tucker Carlson played an influential role in dissuading Trump from launching military strikes against Iran in response to the shooting down of an American drone, advising Trump that such action would hurt his re-election chances.
June 2019: Defense of Trump's Friendship with Kim Jong-un
In June 2019, Tucker Carlson defended Trump's friendship with Kim Jong-un, stating that leading a country "means killing people."
July 9, 2019: Monologue Criticizing Ilhan Omar
On July 9, 2019, Tucker Carlson concluded Tucker Carlson Tonight with a monologue about 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".
September 10, 2019: Lobbying for Firing of John Bolton
On September 10, 2019, Donald Trump fired John Bolton after Tucker Carlson lobbied Trump to fire his national security advisor.
November 2019: Repeating Claims About Douma Chemical Attack and Suggesting False Flag
In November 2019, Tucker Carlson repeated claims questioning whether the Douma chemical attack had happened at all and suggested a similar attack was a false flag to implicate the Assad government.
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: False Claim 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: Accusations of Democrats Supporting Increased Immigration
In 2019, Tucker Carlson accused Democrats of supporting increased immigration to change the racial demographics of the United States to increase the Democratic voter base.
2019: Criticism of LeBron James
In 2019, Tucker Carlson criticized LeBron James for speaking out against Daryl Morey.
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, in criticizing Mitt Romney. He praised Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren's economic plan and called her book The Two Income Trap "one of the best books I've ever read on economics".
2019: Release of Racist Comments by Media Matters
In 2019, advocacy group Media Matters for America released recordings of racist comments that Tucker Carlson made in 2006.
May 2020: Questioning the Severity of COVID-19
In May 2020, Tucker Carlson began to publicly question the severity of the COVID-19 virus.
July 2020: Blake Neff resigns from Tucker Carlson Tonight
In July 2020, Blake Neff, Tucker Carlson's head writer, resigned after CNN Business reported on his racist, sexist, and homophobic posts on AutoAdmit.
August 2020: Carlson Aired Segments Defending Kyle Rittenhouse
In August 2020, Tucker Carlson aired segments defending Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot three protesters, killing two, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
September 2020: Carlson's admission about lying
In September 2020, Tucker Carlson stated on The Rubin Report that unlike TV newscasters who "systematically lie", he only lies when "really cornered or something", expressing his dislike for lying on TV but admitting to doing it out of weakness.
September 2020: Lawsuit against Fox News 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 viewers would be skeptical of his statements.
October 2020: Carlson alleges his text messages are being read
In October 2020, Tucker Carlson claimed on his show that someone was reading his text messages, after documents he claimed had compromising information on Joe Biden's son, Hunter, were lost by the United Parcel Service and then quickly located. The contents of the documents were not disclosed.
November 20, 2020: Promotion of 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, a theory that states COVID-19 was made in a Chinese laboratory and then escaped from the lab.
2020: Fox News' defense in a slander lawsuit
In 2020, Fox News successfully defended a slander lawsuit by Karen McDougal, citing Carlson's use of hyperbole as a rhetorical device. This lawsuit was related to Carlson incorrectly arguing in 2018 that Donald Trump had been a victim of extortion by McDougal.
2020: Criticism of Soleimani Assassination
In 2020, Tucker Carlson called the assassination of Qasem Soleimani a "quagmire" and criticized those promoting foreign interventions.
2020: Election Fraud Allegations and Apology
In 2020, Tucker Carlson raised false allegations of fraud in the election and mentioned names of purportedly dead individuals who voted in Georgia, later apologizing for the error.
2020: Calling Bob Iger a "propagandist"
In 2020, Tucker Carlson referred to Bob Iger as a "propagandist" for the Chinese Communist Party.
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."
2020: Election Year
In 2020, claims of election fraud were made by various people, and Carlson privately doubted the false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
January 26, 2021: Mike Lindell criticizes Dominion Voting Systems on Tucker Carlson Tonight
On January 26, 2021, Mike Lindell, whose company My Pillow was the largest advertiser on Tucker Carlson Tonight, appeared on the show to criticize Dominion Voting Systems. He claimed that the company had "hired hit groups and bots and trolls" to target him following the permanent suspension of his Twitter account for promoting unfounded fraud claims.
February 2021: Carlson claims no white supremacists were responsible for January 6 Capitol attack
In February 2021, after Merrick Garland pledged to supervise the prosecution of "white supremacists and others" involved in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, Tucker Carlson claimed that there was no evidence that white supremacists were responsible for the attack. PolitiFact rated Carlson's claim as false.
March 2021: Criticism of Military and Maternity Flight Suits
In March 2021, Tucker Carlson ridiculed maternity flight suits for U.S. women soldiers, leading to a rebuke by the U.S. military.
March 2021: Statements on Latin American Immigration Crisis
In March 2021, Tucker Carlson stated that issues like the Latin American immigration crisis should be blamed on "other colonial powers centuries ago" instead of the United States.
June 2021: Carlson promotes conspiracy theory about Capitol storming
In June 2021, Tucker Carlson promoted a conspiracy theory alleging that the Capitol storming was a "false flag" FBI operation intended to suppress political dissent. He claimed that FBI operatives were organizing the attack on the Capitol on January 6.
June 28, 2021: Carlson claims the NSA is spying on him
On June 28, 2021, Tucker Carlson claimed on his program that a whistleblower informed him that the NSA was monitoring his electronic communications and planning to leak them to take his show off the air, alleging that the Biden administration was spying on him.
July 2021: Carlson's statements and truthfulness
In July 2021, Charlotte Alter of Time noted that while Tucker Carlson sometimes tells "outright falsehoods", he generally sticks to innuendo, avoiding factually disprovable assertions. As an example, she cited that Carlson didn't endorse Sidney Powell's voter fraud claims in the 2020 election but questioned those dismissing inquiries about voting machines.
July 2021: Carlson suggests voter fraud in Fulton County, Georgia
In July 2021, Tucker Carlson suggested that there was meaningful voter fraud in Fulton County, Georgia, during the previous November's election, despite the state's election results having been validated. PolitiFact found that the evidence provided by Carlson did not substantiate his claim.
August 2021: Visit to Hungary and Praise for Viktor Orbán
In August 2021, Tucker Carlson traveled to Hungary, broadcasting from Budapest. He praised Viktor Orbán for rejecting asylum seekers and ridiculed the idea that Orbán was authoritarian.
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 NSA was spying on him.
October 2021: Release of Patriot Purge series on Fox Nation
In late October 2021, Tucker Carlson produced 'Patriot Purge', a three-part series released on the Fox Nation streaming service. The series suggested the January 6 attack was a government false flag operation to implicate the right wing and was met with controversy and criticism for containing falsehoods and conspiracy theories.
December 2021: Comments on Gender Differences and Labor Participation
In December 2021, Tucker Carlson commented on gender differences, saying society is built on the differences between men and women.
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 that Buttigieg could be "trying to figure out how to breastfeed".
2021: Use of "Great Replacement" Terminology
In 2021, Tucker Carlson described the demographic replacement conspiracy theory as "the Great Replacement", using white nationalist terminology.
January 6, 2022: Ted Cruz apologizes on Carlson's show for calling Capitol storming a terrorist attack
On January 6, 2022, Senator Ted Cruz appeared on Tucker Carlson's show, the anniversary of the Capitol attack, and apologized for previously calling the event a terrorist attack.
January 2022: Release of 'Hungary vs. Soros'
In January 2022, Tucker Carlson released the film "Hungary vs. Soros" on Fox Nation, promoting conspiracy theories about Soros.
February 2022: Support for 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 publishes "American Nationalist" series
In April 2022, The New York Times published a three-part investigative series on Tucker Carlson called "American Nationalist". Carlson responded by saying that he has not read "American Nationalist" and does not plan to, and denied allegations about obsessing over ratings.
September 2022: Comments on the British Empire After Queen Elizabeth II's Death
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, Tucker Carlson commented that the British Empire had brought civilization to regions it occupied with "decency unmatched by any empire in human history".
October 11, 2022: Publication of Leaked Footage from Ye Interview
On October 11, 2022, Vice website Motherboard published leaked unaired footage from Tucker Carlson's interview with Ye (Kanye West), revealing West's controversial views and statements. This led to scrutiny of Carlson's presentation of West's remarks and accusations of providing a platform for antisemitism.
November 2022: Scrutiny After Colorado Springs Nightclub 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's reluctance to acknowledge errors
In 2022, Bump argued that Tucker Carlson is loath to acknowledge factual errors in his commentary compared to other television anchors.
2022: Interview with Kanye West
In 2022, Tucker Carlson aired an edited version of an interview with rapper and fashion designer Ye, also known by his birth name Kanye West, on Tucker Carlson Tonight where they discussed the "White Lives Matter" shirt and West's views on abortion.
2022: Questioning Great Replacement Conspiracy Theory
In 2022, Tucker Carlson questioned the popularity of the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, after it was invoked by multiple white supremacist mass shooters.
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. The episode featured Raw Egg Nationalist.
2022: Defense of Putin Leading Up to Invasion of Ukraine
In 2022, Tucker Carlson was noted for defending Vladimir Putin in the lead-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
2022: Response to Criticism from The New York Times
In 2022, in response to The New York Times publishing a report criticizing Tucker Carlson and his show, Carlson defended his show's views on race, invoking Martin Luther King Jr.'s principles.
2022: Downplaying Russian Military Buildup and Promoting Pro-Russian Disinformation
In early 2022, Tucker Carlson downplayed Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's borders as a "border dispute". Although Carlson called the Russian invasion of Ukraine "awful" and acknowledged Putin's responsibility, he has promoted pro-Russian disinformation since then.
March 2023: Carlson expresses anger over leaked private texts and affirms love for Trump
In March 2023, Tucker Carlson expressed his anger that his private texts were released during the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit. He also stated that he loves Trump and finds him funny and insightful, despite previous texts showing the opposite.
March 2023: Attorney demands retraction of Carlson's statements on Ray Epps
In March 2023, an attorney for Ray Epps demanded a public retraction from Tucker Carlson for false and defamatory statements Carlson made about Epps, related to the January 6th attack.
April 24, 2023: Fox News Dismissed Carlson
On April 24, 2023, Fox News dismissed Tucker Carlson and his evening show's executive producer. Carlson apparently did not have advance notice of his dismissal.
May 9, 2023: Carlson Announces Relaunch of Show on Twitter
On May 9, 2023, Tucker Carlson announced he would relaunch his show on Twitter. His attorneys also sent a letter to Fox executives alleging breach of contract.
June 6, 2023: Release of Tucker on Twitter Episode 1
On June 6, 2023, the first episode of Tucker's new show, Tucker on Twitter, was released. In the episode, Carlson made several controversial claims.
August 23, 2023: Carlson Hosts Donald Trump on Tucker on X
On August 23, 2023, Tucker Carlson hosted Donald Trump on Tucker on X, which was deliberately scheduled to conflict with the first 2024 Republican debate.
September 6, 2023: Carlson Interviews Larry Sinclair
On September 6, 2023, Tucker Carlson interviewed Larry Sinclair, who made controversial claims about Barack Obama. The interview was criticized by many, including Elon Musk.
September 2023: Interview Regarding Barack Obama
In September 2023, Tucker Carlson interviewed a man who claimed to have had sex with Barack Obama.
November 2023: La Gaceta Article Retraction After Carlson's Appearance
In November 2023, La Gaceta retracted Mamela Fiallo's rebuttal article after Carlson appeared with Santiago Abascal in support of the 2023 Spanish protests.
2023: Criticism of Wind Power Use
In 2023, Tucker Carlson, Clean Ocean Action, and multiple Republicans criticized New Jersey and New York's use of wind power, falsely claiming that it has been contributing to the deaths of whales.
2023: Carlson airs security video from Capitol attack
In early 2023, after being granted exclusive access to security surveillance video from the day of the Capitol attack by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Tucker Carlson aired portions of the video on his show. He portrayed the event as "peaceful chaos" and condemned other media outlets for portraying it as violent.
February 2024: Carlson Interviews 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.
September 2, 2024: Carlson Hosts Darryl Cooper, Resulting in Controversy
On September 2, 2024, Tucker Carlson hosted Darryl Cooper on Tucker on X. Cooper endorsed Holocaust denial and otherwise departed from the historical consensus regarding World War II, causing controversy.
2024: Carlson Dismisses Link Between Climate Change and Hurricanes
In 2024, Tucker Carlson dismissed the link between climate change and the increased frequency and intensity of hurricanes, attributing it instead to abortion.
2024: Conflict with the 2024 Republican Debate
In August 2023, Tucker Carlson hosted Donald Trump on Tucker on X, deliberately to conflict with the first 2024 Republican debate.
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