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Reflecto News | Breaking News | U.S. Politics & Middle East
WASHINGTON — Conservative commentator and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has escalated his criticism of President Donald Trump, claiming that the president is being “held hostage” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that the U.S. was dragged into a devastating war with Iran solely to serve Israel’s interests.
Carlson’s remarks, made during a series of interviews and on his online show, represent a significant fracture within the MAGA movement, pitting America First isolationists against traditional pro-Israel hawks in the Republican Party.
“I don’t think it is as simple as ‘he is under the control of Netanyahu,’ but you could certainly summarize it that way and you wouldn’t be totally inaccurate. This is Israel’s war. This is not the United States’ war. It’s not being waged on behalf of American national security objectives or to make the U.S. safer or richer. This war is waged purely because Israel wanted it to be waged.”
— Tucker Carlson
🎯 ‘He Never Seemed Enthusiastic About It’
In an interview with The New York Times, Carlson claimed that Trump was reluctant to engage in military action against Iran but ultimately bowed to enormous pressure from a “constellation of influencers” including Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Mark Levin, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and crucially, Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“Trump was held hostage by his own advisors and by Bibi,” Carlson said, adding that the president “never seemed enthusiastic” about launching Operation Epic Fury. The war, which began on February 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has resulted in thousands of casualties and a global energy crisis.
Carlson pointed to the infamous “golden pager” gifted to Trump by Netanyahu in February 2025 as a symbol of the Israeli leader’s hold over the president. Critics online have since claimed the device—a reference to Israel’s 2024 pager operation targeting Hezbollah—was a “veiled threat” from Netanyahu to Trump.
💥 ‘The Single Biggest Mistake of My Lifetime’
Carlson has repeatedly called Trump’s decision to join Israel in bombing Iran the “single biggest mistake by any American president in my lifetime”.
“We know this because the single biggest mistake Trump – or any American president in my lifetime – has made was going to war with Iran in an effort to change its regime,” he told the BBC.
The commentator has also accused the Israeli regime of actively manipulating the United States into the conflict, saying he saw it personally the way Tel Aviv steered Washington into a war “that hurts the United States and the world”.
“I’ve always liked Trump and still feel sorry for him, as I do for all slaves,” Carlson told Newsmax, describing the president as “hemmed in by other forces” and unable to make his own decisions.
🛡️ The MAGA Divide
Carlson’s criticism has exposed a deep and growing rift within the Republican coalition. While some, like podcaster Ben Shapiro, view Israel as America’s best ally against common enemies, Carlson represents a rising tide of neo-isolationism within the MAGA base.
This tension was on full display last month when Carlson visited the White House multiple times, meeting with Trump in the Oval Office to urge restraint. According to a New York Times report, Carlson told Trump to his face that he was considering a strike only because Netanyahu wanted it, and encouraged the president to “restrain” the Israeli leader.
Trump has since lashed out at Carlson on Truth Social, calling him a “broken man” who was “fired from Fox” and is now “never been the same”. The president dismissed his former ally’s views as “opposite of MAGA,” stating, “MAGA wants to see our country thrive and be safe”.
⚖️ The ‘Hostage’ Narrative in Context
Carlson’s “hostage” claim echoes a broader sentiment among anti-war conservatives that the U.S. foreign policy apparatus is beholden to foreign interests. He has questioned why American soldiers died “for Bibi in a war that nobody wants” and suggested the war will destabilize the Middle East, hurt Gulf allies, and trigger a European energy crisis.
📋 Key Takeaways
| Aspect | Summary |
|---|---|
| The Claim | Trump is a “hostage” to Netanyahu, pushed into Iran war despite his reluctance. |
| The Evidence | Trump “never seemed enthusiastic” about the war; Carlson urged him to “restrain” Netanyahu. |
| The ‘Golden Pager’ | Gift from Netanyahu to Trump viewed by some as a “veiled threat”. |
| The Fallout | Carlson called war “single biggest mistake” by any US president. |
| The Political Rift | Splits MAGA movement: Carlson (isolationist) v. Shapiro (pro-Israel hawk). |
| Trump’s Response | Called Carlson a “broken man” and “low IQ”. |
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