Tucker Carlson, the bow-tied propagandist who spent years stoking Islamophobia on Fox News, now says fears of “radical Islam” are overblown—and that OnlyFans is the real threat to America.
WHAT’S GOING ON: In an interview with The American Conservative, Carlson dismissed concerns about radical Islam entirely, claiming “I don’t know anyone in the United States in the last 24 years who’s been killed by radical Islam.”
Instead, he pivoted to blaming OnlyFans for “turning some huge percentage of American women into prostitutes.”
Yes, really.
“I know people who’ve died of drug ODs, more than a few,” Carlson said. “I see millions of Americans being destroyed, and none of it is at the hands of radical Islam.”
He also complained that “none of the boys in my daughter’s class can get jobs, none of those white boys can get jobs. They’re being destroyed by Adderall and video games and porn.”
BUT BUT BUT: This is the same Tucker Carlson who in 2017 declared that “violent terrorism” was an “inevitability in Europe” because “there are a lot more Muslims living in Europe now.” The same guy who built a media empire on xenophobia and fear-mongering about immigrants.
Now he’s suddenly discovered that maybe, just maybe, the real problems facing Americans are economic and systemic—though OF COURSE he blames porn and video games rather than, say, late-stage capitalism.
THE DETAILS: When asked where fears about “radical Islam” come from, Carlson pointed directly at Israel.
“It comes from the Israeli government and its many defenders and informal employees in the United States, of course,” he said.
This sent MAGA into a civil war.
Meghan McCain mocked that “we’re like 3 months away from Tucker Carlson telling everyone you’re a warmonger neocon if you don’t convert to Islam.” Meanwhile, Marjorie Taylor Greene rushed to post a photo with Tucker, declaring she’s “proudly friends” with him.
BOTTOM LINE: Watching the right tear itself apart over whether to hate Muslims or love Tucker is genuinely entertaining. But let’s be clear: Carlson hasn’t had some moral awakening. He’s just found a new grift—pivoting from Islamophobia to whatever culture war nonsense keeps his audience engaged. The man who helped radicalize millions is now shocked—shocked!—that his audience believes the propaganda he fed them for years.