During a recent episode of his podcast, Tucker Carlson raised eyebrows by suggesting hypothetical condolences for Osama bin Laden’s family.
Speaking with a disillusioned former State Department official, Carlson said he would apologize to bin Laden’s family — not out of admiration, but because he considers it the “decent” thing to do after someone is killed. The remark quickly drew sharp criticism, particularly from Americans who remember the horrors of 9/11 firsthand.
As Mediaite’s Sean James notes:
The former Fox News star shared his comment during the latest episode of his interview program, The Tucker Carlson Show, on Friday. His guest was Shahed Ghoreishi, a recently-fired State Department official, who said he upset his bosses prior to his exit when he planned on offering condolences to dead Gazans — who some claimed were journalists and Israeli intelligence said were Hamas collaborators — in an official statement.
“Let me just say, I would be totally comfortable sharing condolences with Osama bin Laden’s family,” Carlson said. “I hate Osama bin Laden. On the other hand, if somebody dies, it’s okay to say I’m sorry to his family.”
“He had a toddler!” Ghoreishi interjected.
“That’s what I’m saying. Yeah, that’s immaterial,” Carlson continued. “I would say that to the family of an executed murderer in a prison. It doesn’t mean I support the murder or the murderer, but this is family. Like, that’s okay. That’s called, like, human decency.”
Carlson’s critics didn’t stop there.
They also accused the populist host of defending Hezbollah in the aftermath of Israel’s 2024 pager attack, which targeted operatives from the U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
The attack, carried out on Sept. 17, 2024, involved thousands of pagers distributed through shell companies to Hezbollah-linked channels across Lebanon and parts of Syria. The devices exploded almost simultaneously, resulting in dozens of deaths and more than 3,000 serious injuries. The following day, hundreds of walkie-talkies detonated under similar circumstances.
Investigators said the pagers contained PETN, a powerful explosive, concealed inside fake battery packs. The devices were either remotely triggered or programmed to self-detonate.
The Financial Times reported that the operation, which had been planned for more than a decade, was referred to by analysts as “Operation Grim Beeper.” The outlet attributed 37 deaths to the strike, including four civilians, two of them children.
Carlson’s effort to add moral nuance to the debate has drawn sharp criticism across the political spectrum. Opponents say his approach risks appearing tone-deaf, particularly when addressing terrorism in the days leading up to the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the deadliest foreign assault on U.S. soil.
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He’s not a Fox News legend, he’s been gone for years. He’s just a former Fox News commentator.