Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson questioned whether Britain benefited from fighting World War II and challenged a former U.K. Conservative Party lawmaker to explain why the country should have entered the war in the first place.
Carlson pressed former Conservative politician Jacob Rees-Mogg on the legacy of the war during a wide-ranging interview, questioning whether Britain was better off after defeating Nazi Germany.
“I’m saying now that we’ve had it, and as a lover of history, why don’t you tell me the ways in which Britain benefited from … ‘winning the Second World War,’” Carlson said.
Carlson pointed to the collapse of the British Empire, India’s independence shortly after the war, and the rise of the United States as the dominant global power. He also questioned whether Britain had sacrificed its sovereignty by allowing U.S. troops to remain stationed in the country.
Rees-Mogg defended Britain’s decision to enter the war, arguing that the country’s victory over Nazi Germany preserved its sovereignty and prevented Hitler from continuing to expand across Europe.
“Our self-respect was hugely maintained by defeating the greatest evil the world has known,” Rees-Mogg said.
Carlson also challenged the conventional narrative surrounding Hitler’s decision to invade Poland, noting that Hitler had repeatedly claimed he did not want war with the U.K. and had previously reached agreements with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.
“I’m very surprised you’re verging on defending Hitler,” Rees-Mogg told Carlson.
“I’m actually not a secret Nazi,” Carlson replied. “I’m someone who tries to think clearly about cause and effect.”
The exchange comes as Carlson has faced controversy for past commentary on World War II, Israel, and antisemitism.
Carlson has faced criticism for interviewing Holocaust revisionist Darryl Cooper in 2024 and white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who has repeatedly denied the Holocaust, made antisemitic comments, and praised Adolf Hitler.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) previously called Carlson the “most vocal proponent” of antisemitism on the political Right. Cruz also criticized Carlson after his interview with Fuentes, saying that failing to challenge someone who praised Adolf Hitler made a person “complicit in that evil.”
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Cruz likewise responded to the podcast host’s interview with Rees-Mogg.
“Yes, Tucker, the U.K. is better off for winning WWII,” he said. “America is better off for winning WWII. And the world would be much worse off if the Nazis had won WWII. This is not complicated.”