I enjoy Tucker Carlson. He asks so many questions that many simply won't, and he will commendably talk with almost anyone.
Carlson's willingness to be vulnerable in long-form discussion enhances the audience's trust, enabling them to learn what a guest actually thinks and then form educated opinions themselves. Such a discussion paves the way for us to fix what is wrong in our society.
The recent conversation between Carlson and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee may be the best example of Carlson opening a door to many who don’t know much about Huckabee and his personal convictions.
Carlson gave a five- to 10-minute intro before the interview, explaining the suspicious behavior of his Israeli hosts, something which piggybacks on his previous arguments that the U.S. is doing more to support Israeli interests than its own domestic issues. Carlson repeatedly commented that Middle East issues are far less important than U.S. debt, rampant drug addiction, and domestic crime, and are not receiving enough attention when compared to Israel.
I often agree with Carlson's questioning of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Yet there were some points at which Huckabee didn’t seem to have a strong answer. For example, when Huckabee suggested that the U.S. never committed a single soldier to deploy on behalf of Israel, Carlson shot back that the material used to justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq was supplied by Israel and directly in line with Israeli interests. Carlson also suggested that leadership has disrespected the sanctity of human losses, emphasizing a disproportionate number of innocent Palestinian/Gazan deaths vs. the 1,200 slaughtered in the Oct. 7 massacre. Carlson regularly insinuated that Huckabee and many in leadership are unwilling to say that killing innocents is wrong.
Another interesting agenda of Carlson's is the topic of Christian Zionism. Both men settled on the most basic and universal definition of Christianity while never really arriving at a mutually accepted definition of Zionism. Huckabee suggested that Zionism simply means that Jews should have a rightful place to live; Carlson, however, challenged the logic that an ethnos, race, or faith-group would be so uniquely entitled to land and political support.
There was also some discussion about God's covenant with Abram and Genesis 15, where Carlson highlighted the inconsistent claiming of biblical rights to a land mass the size of New Jersey, when that proof text actually gives Abram rights to all the land from the Nile to the Euphrates, which, if modern Israel were to claim, would involve war with about seven established countries.
Carlson also questioned the legitimacy of an ethnic right to the land, given that so many Jews are converts with zero blood connection to the historical region.
I believe Carlson scored points on the faith front, successfully demonstrating that Huckabee, and likely other U.S. politicians who claim Zionism, are misappropriating Scripture or being inconsistent with their proof texts. I think he also rightly questions whether "Zionists" are accurately dealing with who "Israel" is throughout Scripture. If this point were comprehensively dealt with, the classical American Christian Zionist position may sustain a fatal blow.
Next, let's examine Huckabee's position and his most meaningful points.
Huckabee established himself as a friend to Israel, having spent time there since 1973, and a friend to Christians, having served as a Baptist minister in Arkansas. Huckabee disarmed Carlson by refusing to succumb to the latter’s constant attempts to bait him, and by calling Carlson out when the latter glibly assumes some not-so-insignificant detail.
Huckabee also rightly highlights the lack of sophistication and humility that Carlson employs when assuming that the U.S. ambassador to Israel must be responsible for issues well outside his mandate or knowledge. It's this same lack of humility and historical perspective that smacks loudly during Carlson’s rants, assuming American leadership is for the killing of innocents. This is evident when Carlson revisits the dropping of the atomic bombs as clear examples of American leadership hating innocents, while having nothing to say about the battle of Okinawa, which killed more Japanese and Americans than both atomic bombs combined, or that an all-out invasion of Japan was estimated to cause over 1 million casualties. Huckabee does well to highlight that the mantle of leadership forces elected officials to decide between bad-option-a and bad-option-b. Thus, it is historically illiterate to assume, especially from one's podcast studio in 2026, that the killing of innocents is necessarily the result of evil leaders bent on death rather than imperfect men who've found themselves the leaders in challenging times with limited options.
Having walked through the objective observations, I'd like to focus on the deeper truth that filled me with hope from this discussion because these two committed themselves to open, vulnerable and respectful debate.
Toward the latter portion of the interview, Huckabee discussed some of the terms the U.S. has placed on Iran in recent negotiations, when Carlson rudely interrupted him with a snippy comment. But then Carlson stopped himself and apologized for being a jerk, an apology which Huckabee received.
Such actions will bring us closer to the light. When we engage in thoughtful, confrontational, meaningful but respectful discourse, we demonstrate something far more important than being right; we demonstrate loving our neighbor.
Carlson and Huckabee do not agree on Zionism, foreign policy, or the appropriate level of support for Israel. But they are having a conversation about it, arguing, listening, and acknowledging when they injure one another.
Carlson’s favorite tool to trap his prey is to officially not say things, even when they're implied. This approach is not doing anything for him or his audience.
Yet Carlson is one of the few who will actually sit down with those on any side of an issue, listening and engaging with the content in a meaningful way. He is leading the way for culturally-engaged conservatives trying to wrestle with sound-bite, sizzle-reel media, and in the process, gives us all a chance to debate, listen, calm down, and learn.
Drew Hicks went to New Saint Andrews College, was an enlisted Marine aircraft mechanic and Marine officer. He and his wife are raising six kids and working to support the mission of their local church, while helping to build several God-glorifying businesses in Huntsville, Ala.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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