Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson accused former President Donald Trump of abandoning America First policies following the July 13, 2024 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, in an interview released Thursday on Stephen A. Smith's YouTube channel.
Carlson argued that Trump shifted toward stronger support for Israel following the assassination attempt. "Trump changed course post-Butler," Carlson said, claiming Trump "shut down the federal probe and backed Israel amid its Gaza war and Iran tensions."
Carlson also accused the Trump administration of blocking the release of details related to the shooting investigation, including records on the alleged shooter's burner phone, online activity and shooting range visits. Federal authorities have concluded the shooter, Thomas Crooks, acted alone.
Gaza and Military Funding
In the interview, Carlson reiterated criticism of Israeli military operations in Gaza, calling them genocidal. "I'm not criticizing Jewish people or ethnicity—I'm criticizing government actions," he said, a distinction he has emphasized in recent commentary on Middle East policy.
He went much further:
Israel is committing Genocide. Genocide is always wrong. The Nazis did it, that's why we don't like the Nazis. The Hutus in Rwanda did it. The Ottoman Turks did it against the Armenians. It's always wrong. And the person committing genocide doesn't get to attack me on moral grounds for pointing it out. This is crazy. And everyone else sees it.
Only in the United States are we like, "Well, are you an anti-semite because you don't like genocide?" No, I'm a human being. I'm against it when it was aimed at Jews. I'm against it when Bibi Netanyahu does it. I'm just against it because it's immoral. And if we can't say that genocide's immoral, where does that leave us?
And through aggression and intimidation, they've scared everyone in the American media, apparently, including you.
The exchange intensified when Carlson directed sharp criticism at Senator Ted Cruz over military funding votes. "Ted Cruz literally called for murdering people and, by the way, has helped murder people … he appropriates money — that guy has blood on his hands."
Smith pushed back directly. "That's very ugly," the host responded, pressing Carlson on the language and the consistency of his critiques.
