Carlson had Fuentes, someone with a well-documented history of antisemitic, racist and extremist rhetoric, on his podcast. This sparked backlash, especially among conservative figures who said Carlson normalized hate-speech by hosting someone like Fuentes without sufficient push-back. Supporters of Carlson and some conservative institutions defended the interview or questioned whether censoring Fuentes was the solution.
The fallout was messy: the Heritage Foundation (whose president publicly defended Carlson’s right to host Fuentes) faced internal revolt, calls for resignations, and serious damage to its reputation. On a broader level, this episode exposed a deep rift in the conservative movement: one side wants to push out extremism and reaffirm certain principles, the other is more comfortable with letting previously fringe figures into the fold if they align with a “populist” or “anti-establishment” standpoint.
