Conservative hosts Tucker Carlson and Ben Shapiro clashed publicly over a controversial topic: foreign wars.
After Shapiro praised Carlson for his controversial interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the former Fox News journalist compared Shapiro to presidential candidate Nikki Haley and directly accused him of being a dangerous warmonger in an interview with comedian Russell Brand.
“You know, I’ve got four draft-age children. So if you’re playing recklessly, fast and loose with their lives, then I have a right to despise you, and I do,” Carlson began. “So if you’re Nikki Haley, who’s running for president, or Ben Shapiro, or half the people I see on television casually mentioning the possibility of nuclear war, or sending Americans to fight in the Middle East, or in any way involving us in a war that has nothing to do with prosperity and peace at home, nothing in other words to do with us, Americans, then I have a right to call you out and be really offended, because it’s my family, they live here. It’s not a joke to me, there’s nothing abstract about it.”
Tucker Carlson says he despises Ben Shapiro because he is worried about his 4 kids getting drafted to fight overseas. pic.twitter.com/0JdHode9lk
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 14, 2024
Shapiro quickly responded to Carlson’s comments in a post on X (Twitter), where he accused Carlson of lying about his positions and also took the opportunity to invite him to a debate on his show for the Daily Wire.
“Tucker is simply lying about my positions. I’ve been calling for a negotiated end to the Ukraine war freezing the lines of conflict since early on in the war,” Shapiro wrote. “I have never called for American boots on the ground in Ukraine. Ever. I have never called for American boots to defend Israel. Ever”.
“I’ve invited Tucker to sit down multiple times over the past few weeks to clear the air and discuss our differences,” the Daily Wire host continued. “He’s said he’s willing, but his team has told us that he’s busy for months because of all of his foreign travel. That offer remains open.”
Tucker is simply lying about my positions. I’ve been calling for a negotiated end to the Ukraine war freezing the lines of conflict since early on in the war. I have never called for American boots on the ground in Ukraine. Ever. I have never called for American boots to defend… https://t.co/DhEO6Rx0Ub
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 14, 2024
Mutual criticism between Carlson and Shapiro related to foreign wars is nothing new. Previously, last December, both presenters had exchanged views on the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7.
Shapiro, in particular, argued that Carlson had downplayed the attack on Israel, considering him guilty of “idiocy” and “moral stupidity” after the former Fox News journalist compared the attack to drug overdose deaths in the United States.
Carlson said in an interview that Shapiro manipulated his argument, explaining that he was only viewing the conflict from an American point of view.
He also accused Shapiro of not caring about America’s problems.
“I’m shocked by how little they care about the country and including the person you mentioned [Shapiro]. And I can’t imagine how someone like that could get an audience of people who claim to care about America, because he doesn’t, obviously,” Carlson said.
