Israel envoy Mike Huckabee chides Tucker Carlson for attacks on Trump: 'Nonsensical and crazy'

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee delivered a forceful rebuttal to conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, calling his recent remarks about President Donald Trump “nonsensical” and “crazy”.

During an interview with NewsNation’s Leland Vittert on Wednesday, February 25, Huckabee said that Carlson’s suggestion that Trump was being “pushed around” by Israel was a deeply insulting characterization detached from reality.

Mike Huckabee rejects Tucker Carlson's accusations about Trump

Mike Huckabee dismissed the Carlson’s comments outright.

“It’s very offensive to think that President Trump is, as Tucker Carlson characterized him, somebody who is being ‘pushed around’ by Israel,” Huckabee said.

“That is the most nonsensical thing. Tucker said a lot of crazy things in the interview, but that was one of the craziest,” he added.

Huckabee said the accusation went beyond political disagreement and was an attack on Trump’s autonomy as President.

“To accuse President Trump of not being his own person is insane,” he said.

The ambassador went further, alleging Carlson has made multiple inaccurate claims beyond the Israel issue.

“There was so many things. And Tucker, since that interview, has said stuff about how he was handled at the airport, stuff that is demonstrably untrue,” Huckabee stated.

He also raised questions about what may be influencing Carlson’s rhetoric.

“I don’t know where this is coming from. I don’t know if it’s because of the influence of significant amounts of money from Arab countries. I don’t know,” Huckabee said.

He then emphasized what he sees as the larger consequence of such remarks.

“I think it would be nice if we didn’t know. But what I do fully understand is that this is divisive to the Republican Party, divisive to America, and it’s based on lies and half-truths,” he warned.

Huckabee made clear that he does not view the dispute as personal.

“It doesn’t matter what Tucker Carlson thinks about me. I’m expendable,” he said.

What does concern him, however, is the potential damage to Trump’s authority and leadership image.

“It DOES matter what he thinks about President Trump and his administration and President Trump’s leadership as the world leader,” Huckabee stressed.

He described Carlson’s tone in prior conversations as troubling.

“And Tucker Carlson said some things in that conversation with me that were alarming and very, very disrespectful and disparaging toward President Trump,” Huckabee said.

Tucker Carlson's White House visit raises questions

During the interview, NewsNation anchor Leland Vittert asked Huckabee directly “Why do you think he was at the White House on Monday?”

Huckabee responded bluntly “I have no idea. I really don’t.”

Still, he offered a pointed suggestion. “I hope it was to apologize. I hope it was to say, sir, I shouldn’t be saying these things about you. I shouldn’t be trying to divide the party.”

The ambassador then referenced Carlson’s past criticism of the Republican Party itself.

“He made a statement long ago that he hates the Republican Party. He doesn’t have any trust in it, he doesn’t want to be a part of it.”

“Well fine! Then quit trying to direct it,” Huckabee said. Vittert noted, “Well, at one point he talked about how much he hated Donald Trump too”