Tucker Carlson Backs El-Sayed
Tucker Carlson Defends Democratic Michigan Senate Candidate Over 2021 Remarks
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Key Points
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Carlson called El-Sayed’s remarks “nothing remotely crazy,” comparing them to “a weatherman declaring that clouds carry rainwater.”
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Carlson’s argument focused specifically on the Iraq invasion, saying Iraq had no connection to the 9/11 attacks and that George W. Bush’s war killed hundreds of thousands of civilians, caused tens of thousands of U.S. military casualties and helped catalyze the creation of ISIS.
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The intervention is significant because Carlson is challenging Republican talking points from within the broader right rather than from the political left, potentially making his criticism harder for conservative voters to dismiss as partisan.
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The articles note that Carlson’s newsletter was members-only, meaning his defense of El-Sayed was delivered directly to a paying audience rather than as an explicit public campaign endorsement.
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Carlson emphasized that the 9/11 attacks were “the worst crime ever committed on U.S. soil” and acknowledged the continuing health consequences suffered by first responders exposed to toxic air at Ground Zero before arguing that the post-9/11 response was also part of the tragedy.
Tucker Carlson has effectively endorsed Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed by defending his 2021 comments about 9/11's aftermath. Carlson called El-Sayed's remarks "nothing remotely crazy" and argued that U.S. military actions after the attacks—particularly the Iraq War—caused immense suffering abroad MediaIte. The move puts Carlson at odds with Republican rival Mike Rogers, who called El-Sayed's comments disqualifying.
Carlson's intervention is unusual because it challenges Republican orthodoxy from the right rather than the left, potentially swaying conservative voters skeptical of interventionist foreign policy Yahoo. Yet El-Sayed has already distanced himself, ruling out any campaign appearances with Carlson.
Carlson Defends El-Sayed's Critique of Post-9/11 Wars
Carlson spent his newsletter defending El-Sayed's 2021 statement that the U.S. response to 9/11 caused immense suffering and that Americans often fail to acknowledge those victims MediaIte. "This is not a controversial statement," Carlson wrote, comparing it to "a weatherman declaring that clouds carry rainwater." He acknowledged that 9/11 was "the worst crime ever committed on U.S. soil" but pivoted to the Iraq invasion.
Carlson argued that Iraq had no connection to 9/11 attacks and that George W. Bush's war killed hundreds of thousands of civilians MediaIte. He cited tens of thousands of U.S. military casualties and pointed to the conflict's role in creating ISIS. His framing treats both the attacks and the wars as parts of a larger tragedy.
Rogers Calls El-Sayed's Comments Disqualifying for Office
Republican Mike Rogers rejected El-Sayed's remarks as showing contempt for 9/11 victims Fox2Detroit. Rogers did not engage directly with Carlson's counter-argument but treated the comments as a fundamental disqualification from elected office. The clash reflects broader disagreement over how to discuss America's wars without appearing unpatriotic.
Why Carlson's Challenge May Resonate With Conservatives
Carlson's defense carries weight because he criticizes from within the conservative movement rather than from the political left MediaIte. Many Republicans have grown skeptical of post-9/11 military interventions, especially after the Iraq War's costs became clear. Carlson's argument gives those voters permission to separate their support for 9/11 victims from support for endless wars.
However, Carlson's endorsement came through a members-only newsletter rather than a public campaign statement Yahoo. El-Sayed himself ruled out campaigning with Carlson, signaling that the Democrat wants to avoid association with the controversial commentator despite Carlson's defense Yahoo.
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