Tucker Carlson Goes Full Muslim | WATCH
As the West mirrors a "lost will to live," Carlson’s praise for the "pride" of the Middle East leaves many wondering: Has the leading voice of American conservatism found a new gospel in the desert?
A new clip from Tucker Carlson’s March 23 episode of The Tucker Carlson Show is exploding across X, Instagram, and conservative media today, drawing sharp criticism from pro-Israel voices who accuse him of romanticizing jihadist societies and even converting to Islam.
In the segment, Carlson laments the state of Western cities:
“There’s not a single Western city that’s thriving… They’re all in moral and physical decay because of self-hatred and a lost will to live.”
He then contrasts that with his experiences traveling in the Middle East:
“I travel a lot in the Middle East. It’s amazing. They’re Muslims. Countries governed by Sharia law. And you go there and it’s incredible to be in a place that has pride in itself, that believes in its religion and culture, that thinks ‘we’re on to something.’ That kind of self-confidence is what creates stability… and hospitality.”
The Backlash
Laura Loomer and other conservative critics immediately pounced, accusing Carlson of sympathizing with jihadists. Loomer (who has feuded with Carlson for months over Israel policy) claimed the comments prove her long-standing prediction that he has “converted to Islam” or become a “Qatarlson” mouthpiece. She and others called it outright praise for Sharia-governed states and said it shows he’s “attacking the West while defending the very systems that oppress Christians and Jews.”
Carlson’s team and supporters pushed back hard:
According to his team, a full transcript review shows no fabricated quotes or calls for America to adopt Sharia, it’s presented as an observation about why some Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE) feel stable and confident while Western capitals do not. Carlson has repeatedly affirmed he remains a “fervent Christian” and has no plans to convert. Supporters argue the clip is selectively edited to inflame the ongoing MAGA civil war over foreign policy, Israel aid, and “America First” isolationism, but after everything he has said recently, this is extremely unlikely.
Bigger Picture
This fits Carlson’s long-running theme: Western elites have lost confidence in their own civilization, while many non-Western societies (including those under strict religious law) have not. It also comes amid his very public feud with figures like Sen. Ted Cruz and Loomer, who view his skepticism of U.S. involvement in Middle East conflicts as veering into antisemitism or foreign influence.