Tucker Carlson Admits Nick Fuentes Interview Was 'Totally Not Worth It' After 'Nazi' Backlash — Calls Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee 'Far Worse'
Tucker Carlson admitted the Nick Fuentes interview was not worth the backlash.
May 3 2026, Updated 1:50 p.m. ET
Tucker Carlson expressed regret over his controversial sit-down with Nick Fuentes, admitting the fallout simply wasn't worth it, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The former Fox News host said the interview sparked weeks of backlash, with critics branding him a "Nazi," overshadowing what he actually wanted to discuss.
Carlson Says Interview 'Not Worth It'
Carlson said he faced weeks of being labeled a Nazi after the interview aired.
Carlson reflected on the widely criticized October 2025 interview during a conversation with The New York Times, saying, per Mediaite: "I wish I hadn’t done the Fuentes interview."
He continued: "Yeah, it was totally not worth it. It was kind of interesting, I guess. But I added to the distraction."
Carlson explained the controversy derailed his intended focus: "What I really wanted to talk about was where we were going in this war with Iran. And I spent like a month getting calls from people being like, 'You're a Nazi!' And I wish I hadn't done that."
'Didn't Imperil My Soul'
The former Fox host insisted the controversy distracted from his intended message.
Despite the backlash, Carlson insisted the interview didn't cross a moral line for him.
"It didn't imperil my soul," he said. "I've interviewed far worse people than Nick Fuentes."
He pointed to figures like Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz, adding, "Far worse person than Nick Fuentes, hurt many more people than Nick Fuentes. Same with Ted Cruz."
Carlson also defended his broader approach to interviewing controversial figures: "I interview people I disagree with all the time, and often I'm polite to them, including war criminals."
Carlson Slams Ted Cruz as 'Repulsive'
Carlson called Ted Cruz 'repulsive' and said he struggled to stay polite.
Carlson singled out Cruz as someone he struggled to remain civil with during an interview.
He said Cruz was the only guest who had been "really impolite," explaining he finds the Texas senator "just so repulsive."
Carlson argued Cruz's position in power made him more troubling than Fuentes: "Ted Cruz is a sitting U.S. senator who has called for the killing of people who did nothing wrong, whole populations, who advocated for this war."
By contrast, he downplayed Fuentes' influence, saying, "Nick Fuentes is a kid. He's like 26 or 27."
'Pretty Friendly' Interview Sparks Criticism
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He claimed Cruz and Mike Huckabee have harmed more people than Fuentes.
The comments come months after Carlson's October 2025 interview with Fuentes drew widespread criticism for its tone.
During the New York Times interview, reporter Lulu Garcia-Navarro described the conversation as "pretty friendly."
"People say that," Carlson responded. "I mean, whatever, I'm naughty for talking to Fuentes."
When pressed on the contrast between his approach to Fuentes and his more "prosecutorial" interview style with Huckabee, Carlson pushed back.
"If I agreed with everything Fuentes said, I would just say so," he said.
