WorldNetDaily lamented that Fox News fired Tucker Carlson, then cheered his softball interview of Russia’s Vladimir Putin for telling him what he wanted to hear. When Carlson met with President Trump in the White House in January, WND seemed ready to cheer that too — until the reviews from right-wing influencers came in. An anonymously written Jan. 16 article stated:
Controversial commentator Tucker Carlson met with President Trump and at least one Cabinet member in the Oval Office Friday morning, a meeting that elicited condemnation from some conservative influencers online.
The meeting purportedly was to discuss the recent unrest in Iran and the U.S. response to it.
Carlson’s Tucker Carlson Network posted two photos on X, one of which has Carlson talking to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Hours before the photos were released, conservative activist Laura Loomer posted about her hearing that Carlson was “in the West Wing” Friday, reacting with: “Every time Tucker Qatarlson visits the White House, GOP voter turnout decreases. Tucker is a virulent Jew hater, a mouthpiece for Islamic jihadists and a Trump hater.”
Unusually, WND offered both sides of the story — something it’s not known for doing — in citing Tucker-lovers:
Some commenters on X supported Carlson, with posts like:
“Watching all the worst people seethe about [the meeting] is hilarious.”
“Tucker Carlson has a voice that Donald Trump needs to hear.”
“Two great men that will bring Americana back. Old school love of country and culture.”
The article curiously concluded: “Supporters of Israel have opposed Carlson’s commentary about the Jewish state, the Gaza War and other issues, many branding him as anti-Semitic.”
All these accusations of anti-Semitism didn’t stop WND from continuing to post Carlson’s video commentaries, however, including a Feb. 16 interview in which he let Capitol rioter Ryan Zink whitewash his crimes. The last one it posted, though, was a Feb. 20 interview with U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Carlson later claimed that “he and his staff were detained in Israel and had their passports confiscated,” which U.S. embassy officials denied. Huckabee himself said: “Tucker Carlson is seen on surveillance video in the lounge, and he’s hugging and taking photos with the very airport employees that supposedly detained him and harassed him.”
Interesting that this incident seems to be what finally caused WND to break with Carlson.