Watch: Highlights From Tucker Mercilessly Excoriating Chickenhawk Ted Cruz

The 2006 book Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone by Rajiv Chandrasekaran was among the first to document up close the chaos of post-Saddam Iraq and the attempt of American and coalition forces to hold the country together, and settle in for the ‘forever’ war and occupation.

Chandrasekaran observed that Bush’s Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) government, which ruled from Baghdad under Paul Bremer, was filled with young American officials who in many instances had never been out of the United States. Astoundingly, and illustrating the utter blind hubris of Bush’s ‘nation-building’ project, young State Department personnel were being sent to Iraq, where they would make fateful decisions over the future of the country and its day-to-day running, yet some were receiving US passports for the first time in their lives.

Further, so-called country ‘experts’ often couldn’t so much as speak a traveler’s level of Arabic, and officials had little clue what historical and doctrinal differences separated Sunni from Shia. Such ignorance while overseeing the destruction of an entire ancient society continues at the highest levels of US government. And now we are about to Iraq Iran.

Former Congressman Ron Paul even popularized the apt term Chickenhawk - as someone who strongly advocates for war but who has never served in the military. There’s also armchair generals, with a similar meaning. These things are problematic patterns in American public discourse, where survey after survey shows the biggest advocates for US military intervention in places like Ukraine, Syria, or Iran – often cannot find these places on a map.

Ultimately, there’s no skin in the game, and not even so much as a real interest for understanding blowback for both people on the ground and future generations of Americans. As Nassim Taleb pointed out:

But what we call “empty suits”, of the kind you see in think tanks or large corporations –those who want to increasingly run our lives or intervene in Libya — look like actors playing the part, down to their vocabulary and the multiplicative meetings. Talk is cheap and people who talk and don’t do are easily detectable by the public because they are too good at talking.

And this is why so many in the independent/alt media are getting such enjoyment out of seeing the biggest chickenhawk of them all – Texas Senator Ted Cruz – get mercilessly excoriated by Tucker Carlson in a foreign policy focused interview. The appropriately fiery exchange focused largely on whether the US should intervene in the recent aerial conflict between Israel and Iran.

Ahead of the interview, Cruz promoted the discussion – and still tried to play to Tucker’s immense audience – with a post on X, stating: “Yep, I stand with Trump. Iran can’t have a nuclear bomb. Make sure you tune in tomorrow.” Full interview:

Senator Ted Cruz demands regime change in Iran. He’s not interested in the details.

(0:00) Why Does Cruz Want Regime Change in Iran?
(6:28) Is the US Currently Acting in Its Own Best Interest?
(7:49) Was Regime Change in Syria Beneficial to the US?
(12:31) Was the Iraq War a… pic.twitter.com/iIdENogQ2T

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 18, 2025

Below are a few of our favorite select highlights and most viral clips from the interview…

* * *

Ted Cruz doesn’t know the population size or ethnic make-up of the country he wants to bomb to smithereens, and probably doesn’t care. And even more alarming there was this moment:

Ted Cruz: “We’re carrying out military strikes, today.”

Tucker: “We?”

Ted Cruz says he has no idea what the population or ethnic mix of Iran is. He wants the US to help Israel bomb and destroy the country anyway.

pic.twitter.com/LiRmkrPr2Q

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) June 18, 2025

NeoCons like Cruz have presided over foreign policy disaster after disaster, and remain unrepentant… 

And they still are largely ignorant of the impact of their disastrous decision-making:

Ted Cruz immediately regretted asking Tucker Carlson this question.

Cruz: “What foreign policy failures have I presided over?”

Tucker: “You’ve been spending the last three years telling us that Vladimir Putin is evil and we’re gonna beat him with other people’s children, and a… pic.twitter.com/YHLaymCHOY

— George (@BehizyTweets) June 18, 2025

America first or Israel first?

Carlson several times held the Texas senator’s feet to the flames on this one:

TUCKER CARLSON TO TED CRUZ: “You asked me why I am obsessed with Israel three minutes after telling me that when you first ran for Congress you elucidated one of your main goals which was to defend Israel, and I am the one who is obsessed with Israel—I don’t see a lawmaker’s job… pic.twitter.com/2ALHAdRZAo

— Liam McCollum (@MLiamMcCollum) June 18, 2025

Cruz essentially shrugs when asked if its okay for Mossad to spy in the United States.

He seeks to justify by saying “Friends and allies spy on each other” all the time. Critics have pointed he’s allegedly taken some $1.8 million from the Israel lobby…

Ted Cruz is so pro-Israel he’s totally okay with Mossad spying on the US

‘Friends and allies spy on each other’, he tells Tucker

Wonder if it’s anything to do with the $1.8 million he’s taken from the Israel lobby? https://t.co/jhC929Ga2B pic.twitter.com/4VV3hsITAu

— RT (@RT_com) June 18, 2025

Foreign influence and sabotage in American politics? 

Tucker: My understanding is that AIPAC lobbies on behalf of the Israeli government.

Cruz: Wrong.

Tucker: When was the last time AIPAC took a position that deviated from Netanyahu’s?

Cruz: All the time.

Tucker: Name one.

Cruz: pic.twitter.com/fOD2WeILKP

— Acyn (@Acyn) June 18, 2025

The Bible, Evangelical End-Times Dispensationalism, and giving Israel a blank-check to wage war:

“BIBLICALLY we are commanded to support Israel.”

INTERVIEW:

Ted Cruz: Those who bless Israel will be blessed.. That’s in the Bible.

Tucker Carlson: Where is that?

Cruz: I don’t have the scripture…

Tucker: So you’re quoting a Bible phrase—you don’t know where in the Bible it is but that’s your theology? pic.twitter.com/bE0BSDMy4X

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) June 18, 2025

But we should return to one of the best, simplest, and most iconic lines from the brutal take-down of an interview.

Tucker to Cruze: “YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IRAN! You’re a U.S. senator and you don’t know anything about the country you want to topple.”

* * *

Clearly, with President Trump possibly about to order direct US military involvement in the Israel-Iran war, and with Congress making some minimal effort to push back with several War Powers resolution initiatives, Trump’s MAGA base is fracturing over the issue. Trump tried to address that, and even claimed that Carlson has since apologized – though we remain highly dubious as to the accuracy of the apology part…

President Trump says Tucker Carlson called to apologize.

Tucker did acknowledge they spoke Monday night but didn’t say anything about apologizing. pic.twitter.com/PASY2uyuUv

— Yashar Ali (@yashar) June 18, 2025