Right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson mocked President Donald Trump during an interview Wednesday, criticizing his administration's approach to Iran and at one point declaring, "Shut up, bitch."
Carlson's Critique of Trump's Iran Strategy
In a conversation with podcaster Jack Neel, Carlson was asked why he believed Trump decided to end the war with Iran. Carlson responded that Trump was "staring down the barrel of, like, commodities prices that are not sustainable." He added that Trump is "super sophisticated about certain things, and obviously buffoonish in other ways, but he's not stupid and he's not senile."
Trump announced a preliminary peace deal with Iran earlier this month, following months of agricultural and economic disruptions caused by the conflict. The deal has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.
Trump's Posturing and Weakness
Carlson argued that after initial attacks on Iran, Trump "knew" he had made a "massive" mistake. "We could get hurt doing this, and there was no obvious military solution," Carlson said, imitating Trump's bluster: "We're going to eliminate you."
Trump had repeatedly threatened military strikes against Iran, even when negotiations were close. In April, he faced backlash for threatening that "a whole civilization will die tonight" unless a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was reached. According to Carlson, Iran concluded that "this guy's not strong, he's weak," adding that "strong people don't brag about how strong they are."
Lessons from Carlson's Father
Carlson recalled his father, a former boxer, who said there are two types of people: those who say "What'd you say? Say it again" and push you—these are not dangerous. The second type are those who don't say anything but knock you cold and keep hitting. Carlson placed Trump in the first category, mocking his posturing: "Trump is very much 'What'd you say?!' Shut up, bitch. I don't take you seriously."
