President Trump defended Tucker Carlson late Sunday after the political commentator split conservatives by having a taped chat with antisemitic podcaster Nick Fuentes.
Mr. Trump downplayed knowledge of Mr. Fuentes, a White nationalist, and focused on Mr. Carlson’s support for his own movement.
“I think he’s good, we did some good interviews,” Mr. Trump told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida. “You can’t tell him to interview. If he wants to interview Nick Fuentes — I don’t know much about him — but if he wants to do it, get the word out.”
Mr. Carlson was an ardent Trump supporter while hosting “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Fox News from 2016 until his 2023 firing.
Mr. Carlson’s sitdown with Mr. Fuentes rippled through the political right. Senators such as Ted Cruz of Texas condemned the decision.
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts criticized attempts to “cancel” Mr. Carlson, creating a rift within the storied conservative think tank.
“People have to decide — ultimately, people have to decide,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Fuentes took the comments as a show of support.
“Thank you Mr. President!” he wrote on X with a clip of Mr. Trump speaking to reporters.
Mr. Trump hosted Mr. Fuentes, who has claimed the Holocaust’s death toll was exaggerated, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022.
Mr. Fuentes was a guest of Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.
At the time, Mr. Trump said he didn’t know much about him.
“He brought Nick — I didn’t know Nick at the time,” Mr. Trump said Sunday. “Meeting people, talking to people, for somebody like Tucker, that’s what they do. People are controversial. Some are, some aren’t. I’m not controversial, so I like it that way.”
