Tucker Carlson admits he was initially skeptical of Charlie Kirk but was won over as views changed

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Tucker Carlson shared a story on 'The Charlie Kirk Show' on Friday, September 19, about how conservative icon Charlie Kirk won him over after originally being "skeptical" of him.

Carlson told Vice President JD Vance on Monday, September 15, that he admired Kirk’s ability to have fond feelings for those who disagreed with him.

He said that Kirk’s youth, and his assumption that he was preying on their mutual donor friend were off-putting, but they started speaking and bonding after a debate.

Tucker Carlson remembers meeting a teenage Charlie Kirk

During the Friday segment of 'The Charlie Kirk Show', Tucker Carlson shared the story of meeting a young Charlie Kirk years ago and how he was not convinced with him.

"I met Charlie when he was a teenager. He was connected to, funded by, a close friend of ours called Foster Friess … And so he tells me at dinner about this kid he’s met. He’s only 18 … And so he’s like, ‘You would love this guy, he’s not going to college.’ And I was like, ‘Man, I love that.’ Because I really am opposed," Carlson said during the show.

He added, "And I mean it … And I really thought, assumed that Charlie was just some predator, and I didn’t like it at all. And of course there’s the bias against young people. I mean, Charlie’s literally the age of one of my children."

Carlson further said, "And I felt he’s probably just totally conventional — telling old people what they want to hear, sucking up to donors, whatever. So I meet him. I thought he was smart as hell, but I was very skeptical."

"Then he calls me: ‘Would you do an event?’ Sure, I was going to be in the state anyway. So I do it … I was going to give a speech and I got there, we were backstage, he was like, ‘Well actually, let’s just do a Q and A. And I was like, ‘I don’t know, son, I don’t think you want to do that with me, because I’m kind of a jerk," he mentioned.

Carlson recalls telling Kirk he disagreed with him on economy and foreign policy 

During the show, Tucker Carlson said Charlie Kirk dismissed his concerns and pushed for a debate.

He added that he told the conservative icon that he disagreed with him on the economy and foreign policy, and that he was "hot on these topics".

However, Kirk again dismissed Carlson’s concerns.

Carlson said that they ended up having an intense conversation. He also talked about the interaction with the crowd and said people kind of booed him, as Kirk told him, "I think that maybe right".

He further mentioned he was in Arizona for something and Kirk told him, "Let’s go to lunch, let’s go to dinner."

"And we started having all these really intense conversations. I started putting him on Fox. And his views were changing. And mine were too, by the way. It’s not like I converted him," Carlson mentioned.

Carlson said Kirk was a rare young man who was willing to admit he was wrong and attributed it to his faith in Jesus.

Tucker Carlson says Charlie Kirk taught him to have more tolerance for opposing viewpoints

During his interaction with JD Vance on Monday, Tucker Carlson said Charlie Kirk taught him to have more tolerance for those with opposing viewpoints and never forget that "there was a person behind those views."

"The main thing I learned from him was how to disagree with people on topics that you take very seriously, and that they take very seriously without hating them [or] without feeling bitterness," Carlson said.

He added, "I mean, people knew what was going on behind the scenes, there was a lot going on behind the scenes and it was intense and it was bitter and you know, because the divide, particularly on foreign policy questions, is very real in the Republican Party."

Meanwhile, Vance added that Kirk had genuine love for people and wanted them to have a real relationship with God.

He said that Kirk always showed people respect, especially with those he vehemently disagreed with.