Vice President JD Vance has repeatedly defended his friendship with Tucker Carlson despite significant political disagreements, insisting that abandoning allies over differing views undermines the health of American discourse. At a White House news conference this week, Vance dismissed calls to distance himself from Carlson, acknowledging the podcast host’s “wrong” statements while emphasizing that political differences should not define friendships.
Vance reiterated his stance during a closed-door speech at the Republican Jewish Coalition on Monday, where he addressed accusations that Carlson and other podcasters—such as Megyn Kelly and Joe Rogan—have “platformed antisemites.” He stated, “My attitude toward this and I try to practice what I preach… I’m not going to play the game where I throw friends under the bus because I have political disagreements with them.”
The vice president faced scrutiny after President Trump publicly denounced Carlson for criticizing his foreign policy stance on Iran. Trump labeled Carlson a “low IQ person” who “has absolutely no idea what’s going on,” claimed he “calls me all the time; I don’t respond to his calls,” and described him as “a broken man when he got fired from Fox.” In a Truth Social post, Trump also accused Carlson of advocating for Iran—designated the “Number One State Sponsor of Terror”—to possess nuclear weapons.
Vance’s defense of Carlson has drawn criticism from GOP Jewish leaders, who warned that Carlson’s alignment with figures like Trump has alienated segments of their community. A report cited by The Washington Post noted that some Jewish leaders expressed concern Vance’s position could deepen divisions within the party.
Vance maintained his commitment to dialogue across political divides, stating: “If you have a disagreement with somebody politically—even over a deeply held issue—you should still be friends with that person because the whole republic depends on people of different perspectives being able to talk to one another.”
