Britain03 October, 20262 min read
Tucker Carlson Questions Britain’s War Against Nazi Germany, Jacob Rees-Mogg Slams Him
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Tucker Carlson questioned the value of Britain’s WWII fight against Nazi Germany. Rees-Mogg and other conservatives criticized him, accusing him of defending Hitler.
7 outlets told this the same way.
Carlson challenges WWII rationale
Tucker Carlson sparked controversy after questioning the usefulness of Britain entering the war against Nazi Germany in an interview with British politician and former MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. Carlson said the German invasion of Poland, which launched World War II, was “merely a regional dispute,” and he argued Britain’s participation led to the destruction of its empire without delivering real gains for its citizens. Rees-Mogg defended Britain’s decision by stressing that defeating Nazism represented a victory of good over absolute evil, preserving the country’s sovereignty and dignity.
“I never understood why World War II was fought in the first place.”
Carlson framed his position with the remark “I never understood why World War II was fought in the first place,” as the exchange turned to the difficulty of avoiding civilian casualties during the war. Carlson also denied any intention to defend Hitler, stating: “I am certainly not here to defend Hitler.”
Backlash from US conservatives
Mike Hagee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, accused Carlson of implying that Britain should allow the Nazis to take Poland and asked, “Did he forget that Hitler killed 11 million people?”
Ted Cruz said Britain and the world were in a far better position for victory in World War II, adding that the world would have been much worse off if the Nazis had won WWII.
Rees-Mogg responded to the criticism by accusing Carlson of “verging on defending Hitler” during the exchange.
Carlson denied the charge by joking, “Yeah, I guess I’m just a secret Nazi. I’m actually not a secret Nazi... and hardly a public Nazi.”
Carlson also told Rees-Mogg “Who cares?” when Rees-Mogg raised the idea that Britons might have spoken German if Hitler had not been opposed.
Debate widens to intervention
The controversy expanded beyond WWII as the interview also addressed whether Britain should prepare for a potential confrontation with Russia and how military readiness relates to deterrence. Rees-Mogg argued, “We do not pick fights with Russia, we just want to be strong,” while Carlson warned that the West risked pushing the region toward an uncontrollable nuclear confrontation. Rees-Mogg considered the American nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki “clearly justified,” while Carlson questioned the broader case for intervention.
The Hill reported that Cruz responded to Carlson’s comments by writing, “Yes, Tucker, the UK is better off for winning WWII,” and by adding, “And the world would be much worse off if the Nazis had won WWII.” Newsweek said Carlson made the remarks while questioning Rees-Mogg about whether Britain should prepare for a possible conflict with Russia as part of a conversation that lasted over an hour.