Former Fox host Tucker Carlson says he and his team were detained and interrogated in Israel, but public records, official statements, and video offer a different account that raises questions about his description and motives.

Tucker Carlson publicly claimed that after a short trip to Israel he was held by airport security and questioned for more than 30 minutes. He stated, “Men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” Carlson “It was bizarre. We’re now out of the country.” His version landed hard on social feeds and drew immediate pushback from officials on the ground.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee offered a bluntly different take and pushed back on the idea of anything unusual happening at the airport. Huckabee wrote, “EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions,” he wrote on X.

The Israel Airports Authority also issued a clear rebuttal, saying standard procedure was followed and no detention occurred. “Contrary to the reports, Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, delayed, or interrogated,” the IAA wrote in a post on X. “Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers. The conversation took place in a separate room within the VIP lounge solely to protect their privacy and to avoid conducting such a discussion in public.”

Video available from the scene undercuts the more dramatic elements of Carlson’s claim and shows a controlled, procedural interaction rather than a forcible detention. Footage of the incident also contradicted Carlson’s telling: That video has been cited by officials and independent observers as the closest thing to an objective record of what actually happened.

Carlson’s brief visit was tied to an interview with Ambassador Huckabee and reportedly took place while he was technically in transit. Over the last year Carlson has criticized Israel’s role in U.S. foreign policy and portrayed parts of the Israeli government as hostile to the America First agenda. His recent posture has combined policy critique with sensational allegations, which makes verifying basic facts essential to the public debate.

Beyond the airport flap, Carlson’s orbit includes uncomfortable editorial choices that matter for conservatives trying to defend credibility. He has interviewed figures labeled by many as anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists, including one who called Winston Churchill the “chief villain” of World War II and another who praised Stalin. Giving a platform to those voices undermines clear-eyed criticism and hands opponents easy ammunition.

At a Turning Point USA event in 2025 Carlson amplified a theory about Epstein and Israel that lacked documentary proof. Carlson claimed that Epstein was running a blackmail operation on behalf of the Israeli government. No such document confirming that theory has yet to be produced, despite the release of more than 3.5 million documents from the infamous Epstein files.

Representative Dan Crenshaw emphasized how limited Carlson’s time in Israel actually was and questioned the broader spin around the visit. “While technically in Israel, Carlson was only in the country in a transit capacity for a few hours to conduct an interview with Ambassador Huckabee and never left the airport. He also refused an invitation to visit the Christian community in Israel.” That detail matters because portraying a transit stop as a diplomatic incident elevates noise over facts.

Conservatives have to choose whether to defend every blowup from within our ranks or to insist on accuracy and discipline. Carlson’s recent travels through the Middle East, and his emphasis on voices critical of Israel, have produced a narrative he wants pushed. Carlson has recently been traveling across the Middle East, seeking to portray the region’s Muslim population as more favorable to Christians than Israel’s Jewish community. So far, he has focused on interviewing Christians and Muslims critical of Israel, presenting their perspectives as evidence for his claim.