The future of the Republicans

Anti-Semitism row divides the American right

A bitter row over views on Israel is shaking the Republicans and the broader Maga movement, several media outlets report. At the center is former Fox News star Tucker Carlson, who is accused of anti-Semitism.

The background is that Carlson invited Nick Fuentes to his podcast earlier this week. Fuentes is a profile on the American extreme right and has expressed admiration for Hitler.

In the podcast, Carlson and Fuentes took turns expressing contempt and criticism of Republicans who support Israel, such as Senator Ted Cruz.

“We are tired of the Jewish oligarchy and we are tired of the subservience to Israel,” Fuentes said in a video post this week.

Carlson’s invitation of Fuentes led to harsh criticism from large parts of the Republican establishment. But he was also defended by Kevin Roberts, head of the heavily conservative think tank Heritage.

Now Cruz is sounding the alarm about growing anti-Semitism on the right in American politics.

– In the last six months, I have seen more anti-Semitism on the right than I have in my entire life. This is poison, and I believe our party and our country are facing an existential crisis.

Analysis: The firewall against anti-Semitism is about to crack

The far right is in the heat. This is how The Atlantic's Ali Breland describes this week's uproar over Nick Fuentes' participation in Tucker Carlson's program.

Carlson did point out that Fuentes' anti-Semitic and hateful attacks against Jews go against "his Christian values," but otherwise the program was friendly and consensus-seeking.

Fuentes' mix of extremism with jokes and online trolling can be seen in many places on the American right, writes Breland. Earlier this fall, Politico revealed how anti-Semitic and racist jokes flowed in a group chat with young Republican leaders. This prompted Fuentes to boast about how there are “Groypers” (the nickname for his fans, editor’s note) in every American government agency.

“The gap between Fuentes and the rest of the right has never been shorter,” Breland writes.

Allowing this type of current into the Republican Party threatens the entire conservative movement, writes Dominic Green in an analysis in the Wall Street Journal. His hope is that JD Vance, who has been silent or wavering when the issue has come up, “puts his foot down.”

“Call me an optimist, but I don’t think Americans will vote for white power in 2026 or 2028.”