Tucker Carlson has landed in hot water again, this time for comments at a memorial service that have Jewish groups and Israeli leaders crying foul over antisemitic undertones.
New York Post reported that at a packed event in Glendale, Arizona, on September 21, 2025, Carlson spoke at the memorial for Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist tragically assassinated on September 10, 2025, only to stir controversy with remarks tying Kirk’s death to historical tropes about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Let’s rewind to the beginning: Kirk, a prominent figure in conservative circles, was killed earlier this month, leaving a void in the movement and a suspect, Tyler Robinson, arraigned via video from Utah County Jail on September 16, 2025.
The memorial at State Farm Stadium drew heavyweights like President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior Republicans, alongside Jewish speakers such as Stephen Miller and Laura Loomer.
But it was Carlson’s address that stole the spotlight—and not for the right reasons—when he painted a vivid, if historically shaky, picture of Jesus’ enemies plotting over what he described as a Middle Eastern dish not even around 2,000 years ago.
“And I can just sort of picture the scene in a lamp-lit room with a bunch of guys sitting around eating hummus, thinking about — ‘What do we do about this guy telling the truth about us?’” Carlson said, weaving a narrative that critics argue slyly points fingers at modern Israel.
That reference didn’t just raise eyebrows—it set off alarms among Jewish organizations and Israeli figures who see it as a nod to medieval “blood libel” myths that have long fueled anti-Jewish sentiment.
Far from a harmless metaphor, critics argue Carlson’s words echo dangerous stereotypes, with some like Eylon Levy blasting, “Complete with a laugh like a cartoon villain, Tucker Carlson uses Charlie Kirk’s funeral to spread an antisemitic blood libel.”
Let’s be real: while Carlson’s flair for dramatic storytelling is well-known, this particular analogy feels like a misstep at best, a dog whistle at worst, especially at an event meant to honor a fallen friend of Israel.
Adding fuel to the fire, far-right influencers like Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes have jumped on the bandwagon, pushing theories that hint at Israeli involvement in Kirk’s death, with Owens citing Kirk’s supposed shift on Israel policy.
Even the Palestinian outlet Quds News Network amplified a clip of Carlson’s speech, suggesting a connection to Israel, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly denied any such involvement.
Here’s the rub: while speculation runs wild online, there’s zero evidence tying Israel to this tragedy, and these theories risk turning a somber moment into a geopolitical conspiracy circus.
Carlson’s representatives have stayed mum on the backlash, leaving his defenders and detractors to duke it out in the court of public opinion over whether this was intentional provocation or just a clumsy historical reference.
At the end of the day, Charlie Kirk’s memorial should have been about remembering a passionate conservative voice, not a platform for divisive rhetoric that alienates allies and revives old wounds.
