Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Played Key Role in Trump Decision Not To Bomb Iran

June 24, 2019 (EIRNS)—Fox News political commentator Tucker Carlson reportedly influenced U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision not to bomb Iran over the weekend, Fox News reported, as did Ha’aretz, RealClearPolitics, and other media.

Whether that is true or not, the highly striking feature of Carlson’s June 21 broadcast, just hours after Trump announced his decision Thursday night, June 20, was the large screen banner behind Carlson. It did not say “Trump Calls Off Strike” or the like euphemisms from the other media reports. Rather it said, truthfully, “War Averted!” And in a smaller scroll below, “U.S. was minutes from a disastrous mistake.”

On his Friday show, Carlson praised President Trump for not bombing Iran, while blasting Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton as a “bureaucratic tapeworm.” And he argued that the President’s decision not to bomb Iran saved his re-election bid, saying, “Bombing Iran would have ended his political career in a minute. There would be no chance of re-election after that.”

The Daily Beast reported that that Carlson “advised” Trump against taking military action against Iran, and “bashed the ‘more hawkish members’ of his administration.” The New York Times also reported that “among the voices that rang powerfully for President Trump was that of one of his favorite Fox News hosts: Tucker Carlson.”