It looks like the rumblings between President Trump and conservative firebrand Tucker Carlson might be cooling off—at least for now. After days of public tension over the administration’s approach to the escalating Israel-Iran conflict, the two had a private phone call on Wednesday, reportedly smoothing things over following a very public spat that had many wondering if a major rift was brewing in MAGA world.
Carlson, who’s been consistently critical of U.S. foreign interventions, raised eyebrows when he suggested on his podcast that Trump’s Iran policy was veering dangerously close to the neocon blunders of the early 2000s. In back-to-back appearances with Steve Bannon, Carlson warned that American interests were being sidelined in favor of reflexive support for foreign entanglements. “We love Israel,” Carlson said, “but we’re not going to imperil American national security, the American economy, America itself on your behalf. That’s immoral for us.”
Trump didn’t appreciate the jab, and fired back on Truth Social with trademark directness: “Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, ‘IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.’”
But when pressed about the beef during a press conference Thursday, Trump played peacemaker. Asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about the fiery Carlson-Cruz interview and growing division among conservatives, Trump said his supporters are solidly “America First” and unified in opposing a nuclear-armed Iran.
Then came the surprise: Trump revealed that Carlson had personally called him to apologize. “Tucker’s a nice guy. He called and apologized the other day because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong. And I appreciated that,” Trump said. He also threw some love Cruz’s way, reminding the press that the Texas senator has been a loyal ally since the 2016 primary dust settled.
🚨NEW — President Trump says Tucker Carlson called him and apologized:
"Tucker's a nice guy. He called and apologized…because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong."
"If they think that it's okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, then they should oppose… pic.twitter.com/GEz1WjYlRx
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 18, 2025
But Trump didn’t back off on the core issue. “Nobody thinks it’s okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “I don’t want to fight either… but if it’s a choice between fighting and them having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do.”
And in classic Trump fashion, he ended with a tease: Iran now wants a meeting. “They’ll even come to the White House,” he said. “So we’ll see.”
Bottom line? MAGA isn’t cracking—it’s debating. And unlike the left, that’s not seen as a weakness. It’s a sign that America First is alive, kicking, and not afraid to argue the tough stuff.