Rees-Mogg says Tucker Carlson came close to defending Hitler
Former Conservative minister Jacob Rees-Mogg found himself defending Britain's role in the Second World War after US commentator Tucker Carlson, during an interview in Rees-Mogg's home, questioned why the UK fought Hitler and dismissed the idea that losing would have mattered.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, who lost his parliamentary seat in 2024 and has since built a career as a commentator, invited US rightwing broadcaster Tucker Carlson into his home for a podcast interview that turned into a heated exchange over Britain's historical and current foreign policy choices. Carlson repeatedly argued that the West bears responsibility for provoking Russian aggression and has previously shown sympathy toward Russia's position on Ukraine, having interviewed Vladimir Putin after leaving Fox News amid disillusionment with Donald Trump's willingness to engage in foreign conflicts.
During the discussion, Carlson mocked the small size of the UK's armed forces, suggesting Russia held far greater military strength. Rees-Mogg countered that Britain's economy outweighed Russia's and argued that the UK and its allies were obligated to support Ukraine to deter further Russian aggression.
The conversation then shifted to the Second World War, with Carlson questioning why Britain had bothered to fight Hitler at all and claiming Germany had a legitimate historical claim to parts of Poland. When Rees-Mogg replied that otherwise Britons would now be speaking German, Carlson said that wouldn't matter, adding that many people in Britain already don't speak English, so having at least a European language spoken there might be welcome.
Rees-Mogg told Carlson he was surprised the host was "verging on defending Hitler" and said this was not something Carlson should want to be associated with. Carlson responded sarcastically that he was not a "secret Nazi." Rees-Mogg closed the exchange by stating that Germany would have invaded Britain had it not entered the war.
The interview drew strong criticism in both the US and UK. Mike Huckabee, the Republican US ambassador to Israel, wrote on social media that Carlson had sunk to suggesting Britain should have let the Nazis take over, reminding him that Hitler killed 11 million people and saying Carlson needed serious help.
