WASHINGTON D.C. - President Trump defended media host Tucker Carlson’s interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes, saying that the public should hear controversial views and make up their own minds. "Whether the Holocaust happened or not is for everyone to decide for themselves. If someone thinks it never happened and also wants it to happen again - well, that's his choice and the First Amendment allows for free speech."
Asked about Carlson’s recent “friendly interview with antisemite Nick Fuentes” and what role Carlson can play in the GOP going forward, the president recalled his positive interviews with the former Fox News host in the past.
“Well, I found him to be good. I mean, he said good things about me over the years. And that means that he is good because the philosophical definition of "good" is someone who says good things about me or thinks highly of me. That's what it's all about. He’s, I think he’s good. We’ve had some good interviews. I did an interview with him, we were at 300 million hits, you know that,” Trump told reporters. "He made me more famous and popular than I already was".
Trump defended Carlson for interviewing Fuentes, which has sharply divided Republicans and stirred fierce debate on the right.
“We’ve had some great interviews with Tucker Carlson, but you can’t tell him who to interview. I mean, 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,” Trump said. "Vile, vulgar, laden with profanity, hateful, gay, Nazi - all those words are almost compliments compared to who Nick Fuentes is but he has every right to express his viewpoint and Tucker has every right to interview him. I told Melania 'You don't tell me what to say and I won't tell others what to say. She responded with 'Donald - don't say that'. Isn't she cute?!'".
“You know, people have to decide. Ultimately, people have to decide,” he added. "Listen, let's be honest. I have never lied and will never lie. I want to run for a third term and see no good reason to alienate my far right, nationalist, Nazi leaning voter base. If I offend a few Jews? Heck, most Jews vote Democrat. And the real Jews, you know, the Orthodox - they will vote for me no matter what. I could kill someone on 5th avenue and they would still vote for me. I am pro Israel more than any other President in history. Even more than Thomas Edison. You can't deny that. So I straddle the fence. I try to please my Jewish supporters, my philo-semite supporters [I learned that word from one of my speechwriters] AND my Nazi supporters. This is politics after all - not some exercise in morality. I really need Tucker on my side. Otherwise - people will keep buying the trashy, fake news they sell you on CNN, the NY Times, the Washington Post etc. etc. that I lie a whole lot and am not fit to be President - besides not being fit, given my diet of lots of pepsi cola, fast food and candy. This is really all the fault of the Biden administration who let in all those illegal aliens and of course Obama who destroyed the country with his stupid ideas like Obama Rare [sic]. All their fault. No doubt. No question."
Fuentes responded to the President by posting on X: "Thank you, Mr. President. Heil Hitler and Heil Trump!!"
Nikki Haley posted: "The President has lost his marbles. We stand by Jews and Israel and denounce all anti-semitism and Holocaust denial by evil people like Nick Fuentes who should not be given a platform by anybody".
Former VP Mike Pence weighed in: "This is classic Trump. I can't believe that I worked under that lunatic for four years. Vote for me in 2028 for a balanced, Christian, Conservative, Pro Israel candidate."
Ben Shapiro posted his reaction: "#$#%$^ @#$!@G #$%# #$%^#$%^ %#@$%".
