Ted Cruz calls on Republicans to reject Tucker Carlson, antisemitism

Texas senator warns that antisemitism has surged to the highest level on the right in half a century, pushes the Republican Party to reject Tucker Carlson.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Sen. Ted Cruz called on the Republican Party to reject right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson, warning that the former Fox News host was amplifying anti-Jewish bigotry within the conservative movement, at a time when antisemitism is surging on the far-right.

On Friday, the Texas senator delivered an address at the Federalist Society’s annual lawyers’ convention, using the speech to call on the conservative movement and the Republican Party to distance themselves from not only white supremacist Nick Fuentes, but also Carlson, who hosted Fuentes recently.

“I will tell you, it is easy right now to denounce Nick Fuentes,” Cruz said. “That’s kind of safe. Are you willing to say Tucker’s name?”

“I can tell you my colleagues almost to a person think what is happening is horrifying, but a great many of them are frightened because he has one hell of a big megaphone.”

The 54-year-old senator warned that antisemitism on the right was more prevalent than at any other time in his life.

“I’ve seen more antisemitism on the right than I have at any time in my life,” Cruz said, blaming far-right figures including Fuentes and Carlson. “It is growing. It is metastasizing. There are about a half-dozen vocal apostles, and it is in particular finding purchase with the young.”

Cruz rejected claims by Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts that calls to cut ties to Carlson amounted to limits on free speech.

“Fuentes and Tucker and the rest of that ilk have a right to say what they are saying, but every one of us has an obligation to stand up and say, ‘It is wrong.'”

A day later, Cruz appeared on Fox News, warning that if conservatives fail to act now, antisemitism could come to dominate the party, claiming that far-left antisemitism has already subverted the Democratic Party.

“Ten years ago, antisemitism began rising in the Democratic Party, and the Democrat leaders looked away. They didn’t do anything. They thought, okay, this is just a fringe.”

“Then it began rising in the halls of Congress on the left. And again, the Democratic Party did nothing. Today, it has all but totally destroyed the Democratic Party.”

Hours later, Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw echoed Cruz’s comments during an interview with CBS News.

“Senator Cruz is exactly right. And this idea that it is cancel culture if we kick Tucker out of our circle…is just nonsense.”

“It is not cancel culture when you say ‘I want to disassociate myself from you because your beliefs are crazy and you are psychopathic and you are falling apart in front of everyone.'”