Pete Hegseth Fires Back at Tucker Carlson After Podcaster Calls Trump's Iran War 'Disgusting and Evil'
Pete Hegseth addressed comments made by Fox News' Tucker Carlson on the Iran conflict.
Aug. 5 2026, Published 3:12 p.m. ET
Pete Hegseth defended President Donald Trump's foreign policy after Tucker Carlson disparaged the ongoing hostilities in Iran.
The United States Secretary of War publicly referenced comments made by Carlson, as he claimed that the Trump administration is planning to tune out the public outcry against conflict, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Pete Hegseth Seethes Over Tucker Carlson Criticism
Hegseth vowed to continue the intervention in Iran.
"Tucker Carlson called the war 'disgusting and evil' and then said of unconditional surrender, which the president has called for, means 'foreign troops get to r--e your wives and daughters,'" Hegseth, 46, said during a recent speaking engagement.
"We're busy executing on behalf of great patriotic Americans with a clear mission that's 47 years overdue and we're gonna execute on that regardless of what people say about it," he added.
Carlson Predicts Nuclear Weapon Usage
The Fox News host believes the lack of ground force will lead to a need for nuclear weapons.
Hegseth was referring to an interview in February with ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl, when Carlson, 57, claimed "everyone knows" that "unconditional surrender" would mean "foreign troops get to r--e your wife and daughter if they want."
At the time, he alleged his statements were backed by history.
"And so to avoid that, people will do anything," he said.
"So, that's why it requires that level of force, to get a population subdued to the point of unconditional surrender. That's why," he continued. "And so in this case, of course we don't have the ground force necessary – I don't think Americans would voluntarily participate in it. I just don't think we can do that."
Without buy-in from enough Americans, Carlson feared the military would need to turn to "weapons of mass destruction" like nuclear weapons. In fact, the conservative commentator speculated that the U.S. might already be moving in that direction.
Iran Conflict Remains Unfavorable Among Americans
Individuals are protesting the U.S. strikes against Iran.
Carlson also suggested Trump's force in Iran would have a negative impact on his support base.
"This is going to shuffle the deck in a profound way," he said.
After all, the war in Iran isn't favorable among Americans – and even Trump voters are unhappy with the president's recent moves in the Middle East.
The NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found 64 percent of adults in the United States believe the war is not worth fighting. While 61 percent of Republicans polled in July approved of how Trump is handling Iran. The number was a decline from a June poll which showed a 71 percent approval rating.
Trump's Approval Ratings Plummet
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Trump's approval rating has hit a record low.
Losing support in the war could prove detrimental to the president as his approval rating is already in freefall. According to The Economist, 60 percent of Americans disapprove of the 80-year-old. This is a 25-point drop from the beginning of his second term.
According to the YouGov poll, the strikes against Iran were the driving factor in the record low as it remains "deeply unpopular with most Americans."
Primarily, citizens believe too much money is being spent on the conflict, and the public worries the situation will drag on.
