Trump reveals Tucker Carlson called him to apologize for going ‘too far’ on anti-war criticisms

By CHARLIE SPIERING, SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER, WASHINGTON, DC

Published: 22:15 BST, 18 June 2025 | Updated: 22:15 BST, 18 June 2025

Journalist Tucker Carlson called to apologize to President Donald Trump after he criticized him for betraying his America First movement by supporting the Israeli missile strikes on Iran last week. 

Trump revealed that Carlson had called him after the president called him out as ‘kooky’ on Monday and taunted him for not being on cable television anymore.

‘Tucker’s a nice guy. He called and apologized the other day because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong and I appreciated that,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Carlson criticized Trump’s support for the Israeli strikes in Iran, noting in a newsletter published monday that ‘many in Trump’s MAGA movement are not happy.’

‘US says it was “not involved,”‘ Carlson wrote. ‘That’s not true. Trump is complicit in an act of war.’

The president has been in the middle of an ideological split among his most loyal MAGA supporters for most of the week as different factions have voiced their support or opposition to the Israeli war in Iran.

Both Carlson and former political strategist Steve Bannon appeared on each other’s podcasts on Monday sharing their growing alarm that the president was launching another ‘forever war’ in the Middle East.

Trump revealed that Carlson called him to apologize for going ‘too far’ in his criticisms 

Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon hosted a podcast criticizing Trump for allowing Israel to bomb Iran

They agreed that getting the United States involved in another war would be the ‘end of his presidency’ if the president did not course-correct.

Both Bannon and Carlson dialed back their criticisms, however, in an effort to unite both camps.  

Bannon admitted to reporters on Wednesday at an event that Trump could sway his followers to his position if he made a good case for military action in Iran.

‘If President Trump decides to do that, I know, and particularly his skills as a communicator, that he will come and walk people through it and the MAGA movement—look, they’ll be some— but the vast majority of the MAGA movement will say, “look, we trust your judgement, you walked us through this… maybe we hate it but you know, we’ll get on board,”‘ he said. 

Former President Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene at the president’s golf course

Tucker Carlson and President Trump campaigned together in 2024 

The president said Wednesday in the Oval Office that he had not yet made a decision whether he wanted to use U.S. military force against Iran, but said he was headed to the Situation Room for a ‘War Room’ meeting. 

Trump also indicated earlier Wednesday that he had run out of patience with the Iranian regime to make a deal.

‘It’s already run out,’ he said. ‘They had 60 days … plenty of time, and they made a mistake.’

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Trump reveals Tucker Carlson called him to apologize for going ‘too far’ on anti-war criticisms

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