Keir Starmer ‘is enslaved, identical to Donald Trump’ claims Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson told the BBC that Keir Starmer and Donald Trump are “enslaved” by Israel’s interests, a claim slammed as “skewed” by historian Mary Beard
Tucker Carlson claims Starmer and Trump are “enslaved” to Israel’s interests(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Tucker Carlson has bizarrely claimed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is “enslaved” and lacks the power to make his own decisions. The controversial American pundit compared the Labour leader to US President Donald Trump, suggesting both men are under the thumb of the Israeli government.
In a fiery interview on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, conducted by Victoria Derbyshire, the former Fox News host didn’t hold back as he took aim at the geopolitical “mechanism of control.”
Carlson, who has long been a lightning rod for controversy, claimed that Starmer is little more than a passenger in Number 10.
The far-right commentator told a stunned Derbyshire: “I don’t think Keir Starmer makes any calls about anything. Keir Starmer is every bit as enslaved as Donald Trump is.”
He then suggested that freedom of speech in the UK has been flushed down the toilet, saying: “It is a crime for which you can be arrested in Britain right now for criticising Israel.”
The firebrand journalist pointed to last year’s proscribing of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation as evidence of his claims.
Turning his sights on his own soil, Carlson denied falling out with Donald Trump despite slamming the President for going to war with Iran. Instead, he claimed he felt “sorry” for the billionaire.
Carlson said: “I’ve always liked him…I feel sorry for him, as I do for all slaves. He is not free at this moment to do what he thinks is best for himself or his country.”
He accused Israel of “intentionally” violating a ceasefire in Lebanon to undermine Trump’s efforts, adding: “The single biggest mistake Trump or any American president in my lifetime has made was going to war with Iran in an effort to change its regime.”
He went on to claim it was “not totally inaccurate” to say Trump is under the control of Benjamin Netanyahu. However, Carlson’s claims were met with a fierce reality check from historian Mary Beard.
Speaking on the same programme, Beard rubbished Carlson’s “skewed visions” of the UK, pointing out the irony of his comments on freedom.
She said: “He’s going on about how it’s not possible in the United Kingdom to criticise Israel, because he’s somehow got very confused about the whole Palestine Action Group.”
She highlighted the “blind spot” of the American right, noting that some Republican states are currently banning books from school libraries.
Beard added: “I’ve been quite impressed with what Starmer has done and how he’s trod this path,” calling for the public to back the PM’s team rather than looking for excuses to “boot the poor guy out.”
Addressing the backlash to his comments about Israel, Carlson insisted he isn’t anti-Semitic, calling such labels “the fastest and most expedient way” to end a debate.
He said: “I think anti-semitism and racism of all kinds, including anti-white racism, are all immoral and anti-Christian, and I oppose them.
“The problem is the mechanism of control that allows a country of 9 million to control a country of 350 million.”
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