Tucker Carlson told the New York Times he never called Trump the antichrist. Then the reporter quoted his exact words back to him

Tucker Carlson recently denied ever suggesting that Donald Trump could be the antichrist during an interview, only for the journalist to read his own words back to him. The exchange happened during a session for The Interview with The New York Times journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro. When Garcia-Navarro brought up the fact that Carlson had been discussing whether Trump fits the description of the antichrist on his show, Carlson flatly said, “I have not said that.”

Garcia-Navarro then gave specific examples of Carlson’s recent commentary. She pointed out that after Easter, Carlson had noted that Trump did not place his hand on the Bible during his swearing-in ceremony. She then quoted Carlson as saying, “Maybe he didn’t put his hand on the Bible because he affirmatively rejects what’s inside that book.”

According to Mediaite, she also cited another broadcast where Carlson had asked, “Here’s a leader who’s mocking the gods of his ancestors, mocking the God of gods and exalting himself above them. Could this be the antichrist?” Carlson tried to distance himself from the phrasing, claiming those words never left his lips. He argued that he wasn’t even sure he fully understood what the antichrist is, or if there is just one.

Carlson backed down when confronted with video evidence of his own words

When pressed on why he kept bringing the topic up for his audience, Carlson said he simply wanted to highlight that there are unseen forces and a spiritual realm that everyone is subject to. Garcia-Navarro remained firm, reminding him that he had used the specific words, “Could this be the antichrist?” 

Faced with that direct challenge, Carlson eventually gave in. “Man, then my apologies to you if there’s a video of me saying that,” he said. He added that the sentiment didn’t reflect exactly how he felt, and suggested the term isn’t clearly defined in the Bible.

This denial comes at a time when Trump’s relationship with some of his conservative allies has become strained. Public disagreements have emerged over the war in Iran, as well as backlash over an AI-generated image posted on social media that depicted Trump with a hand radiating golden light over a man in a hospital bed. 

Trump later told reporters the image was supposed to depict him as a doctor, but it sparked strong criticism. Trump has also drawn attention for other unusual moments at his public events, including when Melania urged him to stop a recurring rally habit. Some supporters compared the behavior to that of the antichrist.

Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on social media that the behavior was more than blasphemy and amounted to an “Antichrist spirit.” Clint Russell of the Liberty Lockdown podcast also remarked that he had gone from hesitantly voting for Trump to thinking there was “a decent chance he is the antichrist.”  Conservative commentators had also previously dissected Trump’s rhetoric on Iran. 

According to Wired, some are suggesting his threats against the country amounted to a war on the Christian faith. The political stakes appear to be significant, especially when it comes to Catholic voters. Robert Jones, founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, noted that Trump has frequently used messianic imagery, which has brought his base to a breaking point. 

With Trump’s approval ratings currently at an all-time low, alienating Catholic voters could prove to be a major problem for the Republican Party. Trump’s public speeches have also raised eyebrows recently, such as when he mocked Ilhan Omar during a Social Security address. Recent tensions have also extended to the Vatican, following reports of a meeting between administration officials and the Pope’s ambassador where military ambitions were discussed. 

Both the Department of War and the Vatican have offered statements playing down the specifics of that meeting, but the broader friction remains a concern for many. The debate around the antichrist label reflects a deeper split within the conservative movement, and the rhetoric has clearly reached a level that even the most prominent media figures can no longer ignore.