Tucker Carlson showed exactly where his priorities lie over the past few days. While Sen. Lindsey Graham, a true giant in the Senate for more than 23 years, died suddenly after a brief illness, the circumstances of which the FBI is investigating, Carlson stayed silent. Instead, he recently rushed to amplify Rep. Ro Khanna’s (D-CA) fabricated story about being detained and threatened by Israelis during a trip to the West Bank.
Khanna claimed armed settlers wielding American-made rifles blocked his group for over an hour. He said Israeli soldiers then sided with the settlers and continued the detention until the U.S. Embassy got involved. Israeli authorities pushed back hard on that version. They said settlers were dispersed in a closed military zone and that no American congressman was detained by the military. It was a tense but brief confrontation, not the life-threatening ordeal Carlson described as an attack by “foreign terrorists carrying American rifles, backed by a foreign military paid for by American taxpayers.”
Yet, Carlson ran with it anyway. He demanded the firing of U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, for failing to defend Khanna publicly. This was framed as an insult to America itself. This was not journalism. It was classic left-wing activist theater. Carlson does not genuinely care about the safety of American politicians. He cares most about one thing: tearing down Israel and America as we know it.
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The hypocrisy stands out like a sore thumb. Khanna came home safe and unharmed. No one was seriously hurt. Yet, a longtime U.S. senator dies, and Carlson offers nothing. No tribute. No reflection on a life of service. This is not concern for American officials. It is selective outrage that only kicks in when it can be aimed at Israel. Graham did not fit the script, so his life, his legacy, and this profoundly tragic loss for America were ignored.
Graham served in the Senate from 2003 until his death. He built a reputation as one of the chamber’s strongest voices on national security and foreign policy. He pushed relentlessly for a strong America, robust alliances, and unwavering support for Israel as our key democratic ally in the Middle East. He championed legislation to increase defense spending, co-sponsored sanctions against Iran and Russia to protect American interests, and consistently backed free trade agreements that advanced capitalist principles and U.S. economic strength. Graham stood firmly with Israel through multiple aid packages and resolutions condemning anti-Israel terrorism, while also backing traditional values by opposing regimes that persecute Christians and Jews, such as those in Iran, China, and parts of the Middle East. A steadfast patriot, he believed in projecting American power abroad, defending free enterprise at home, and upholding moral clarity against tyranny.
This fits a larger shift in Carlson’s thinking. He has moved toward anti-capitalist rhetoric. In a recent New York Times interview, he attacked the structure of the American economy in ways that echo leftist complaints. The man who built his brand fighting the establishment now vilifies the very system that rewards hard work and innovation.
He has shown open disdain for conservative leaders who championed pro-America, pro-capitalist policies. Carlson has criticized Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Graham, falsely painting them as more interested in foreign warmongering than in putting America first. President Donald Trump himself has drawn brutal criticism from Carlson over Iran policy decisions Carlson foolishly viewed as betraying core America First principles. These are not mild policy differences. They are personal attacks on men who spent decades advancing conservative principles.
The pattern grows darker when you look at how Carlson handles Islamism. He has downplayed and all but dismissed the ongoing threat of radical Islam. At one point, he claimed no one in the United States has been killed by Islamist terrorists since 9/11, a claim contradicted by attacks in San Bernardino, Orlando, New York City, and elsewhere. He pretends that 9/11 happened in a different century. Never mind that Americans continue to die every single day from the lingering effects of that horrific attack.
Instead, Carlson has spoken positively about countries like Qatar. He has suggested Christians might enjoy more freedom there than in Israel and praised aspects of its development. The reality is far different. In such countries, Christians are mostly expatriate workers confined to worship inside a single government-controlled complex. Visible Christian symbols are banned. Proselytizing is illegal. Many live under the kafala system that human rights groups have long criticized as a form of modern slavery.
Data from Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List shows the grim picture across Islamist-influenced countries. Nigeria ranks high, with thousands of Christians killed by Boko Haram and other jihadist groups. Pakistan sees repeated blasphemy-driven mob attacks and church burnings. Iran imprisons and executes converts. Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, and Afghanistan deliver similar stories of violence, forced recantations, and destroyed communities. Millions of Christians suffer persecution while Carlson focuses his ire on the Jewish state.
Carlson’s approach adds up to something consistent and disturbing. He pushes debunked or exaggerated claims against Israel. He downplays Islamist threats and praises regimes that oppress Christians. He attacks capitalism and the politicians who defend it. He stays silent when a pro-Israel conservative senator dies but erupts over a minor West Bank delay involving one of Israel’s most left-wing, disingenuous, and dishonest critics.
Graham represented the opposite. He fought for a strong national defense. He stood firmly with Israel as America’s democratic ally. He backed policies rooted in traditional values and opposed regimes that persecute Christians and Jews. He was a patriot who believed in American power, free enterprise, and moral clarity.
For Carlson to hype up Khanna’s dubious tale while ignoring Graham’s death is not principled. It is inhumane and hypocritical. It reveals a worldview fueled by hostility toward Israel and Jews, contempt for capitalism and its champions, and a willingness to overlook real threats and real American heroes when they do not fit the narrative.
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Graham was the real deal — an America First patriot with morally clear-eyed judgment who could always discern democracies from Sharia dictatorships, good guys from bad guys, and friends of freedom from enemies of civilization. He deserves to be honored and celebrated for all that he did for this country, not callously ignored to serve some hateful purpose or agenda.
You were a great American and a principled leader, Sen. Graham. May God bless your soul.
Jeffrey Lax is a professor of law at the City University of New York and chairman of the Department of Business at Kingsborough Community College. He holds a Juris Doctor from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a Master of Business Administration from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business, management, and finance from Brooklyn College.