Tucker Carlson Claims Trump Was a 'Hostage' in Iran War Decision, Cites Pressure from Influencers

Tucker Carlson has claimed that Donald Trump was a "hostage" in the decision to enter war with Iran, asserting that the president was heavily influenced by a group of advisors. In an interview with The New York Times, published on Saturday, Carlson stated that Trump's decision was "connected to a series of seemingly disconnected events, all of which revolve around violence."

Carlson added that he believes Trump was "more a hostage" to the desires of a "constellation of influencers" rather than acting as a sovereign decision-maker. He described the process as "not a normal decision-making process."

Who Were the Influencers?

The group Carlson referred to includes Rupert Murdoch, Mark Levin, and Sean Hannity. He alleged that they were "pushing the president to do this and telling him that you will be a figure out of history, you will save and redeem Israel or something."

The New York Times noted that Hannity and Levin denied Carlson’s claim, while Murdoch did not respond to requests for comment.

Carlson’s Decade-Long Concerns

Elsewhere in the interview, Carlson insisted he had been speaking to Trump about the push for war with Iran for a decade. He explained that there had been "enormous pressure on him, as there has been on many presidents, to regime-change Iran."

"We know, based on our experience with a much smaller country, Iraq, that that’s a tall order, it doesn’t necessarily lead to a place you want to go, and it’s not good for the United States," he continued. "Trump knew that."

Carlson’s Regret Over Supporting Trump in 2024

Carlson said he was "baffled" and "very upset" by the decision to start the war, which he cites as his reason for expressing regret over his support of Trump’s 2024 campaign. "Not because I have allegiance to Iran, but because I thought it would be terrible for the United States, as it has been, worse even than I imagined. But I could see exactly where this was going," he stated.

Trump’s Actions and Aftermath

Carlson revealed that he spoke with the president "a lot" last June. "He embarked on this effort to take out Iran’s nuclear program, which is really just the opening salvo in a regime-change effort. He knew that. I told him that," Carlson said. "Charlie Kirk told him that. We did it, we got out, and then it became clear in January that we were moving toward this thing that we’re in now, and I was absolutely panicked about it."

The president also "made no effort" to convince Carlson to change his own position on the war.

Casualties and Ongoing Tensions

The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February, resulting in the deaths of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, military and intelligence officers, and over 100 people—most of whom were children—at an elementary school. The two sides continue to argue over the Strait of Hormuz, while fuel prices in the United States are soaring.