The former Fox host is peddling conspiracy theories about Israel—and torpedoing the administration he claims to support

Tucker Carlson has a new theory. According to the podcaster, Israeli military officers spent last June literally running wild through the Pentagon, barking orders at American generals like they owned the place.

"Ask anyone who worked at the Pentagon," Carlson told his guest Jeffrey Sachs last week. The Israelis were "barging into meetings, giving orders, making demands, and no one did anything about it."

It's a hell of a story. Just one problem: It's complete fiction.

At least that's the conclusion of a deep dive by Tablet Magazine's Lee Smith, who traced the claim back through Carlson's pattern of launching conspiracy theories precisely when Trump racks up wins—and always with help from guests who spend their time praising China on state television.

The Setup

Carlson dropped this bombshell right after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held a major press conference at Quantico announcing the military was ditching DEI policies and refocusing on—wait for it—actually winning wars.

Convenient timing.

The pattern is becoming impossible to ignore. Every time the Trump administration scores a win, Carlson shows up with a fresh conspiracy theory to steal the headlines.

When FBI Director Kash Patel announced new developments in the Russiagate investigation? Carlson accused him of covering up an Israeli blackmail ring involving Jeffrey Epstein.

When the White House went after antifa networks following an assassination attempt on Charlie Kirk? Carlson gave a speech implying Jews were behind the murder.

It's Russiagate all over again. Except this time the sinister foreign power controlling Trump isn't Russia—it's Israel.

The China Angle

Here's where it gets interesting. Carlson's partner in this latest fantasy, Jeffrey Sachs, is a Columbia economist who appears regularly on Chinese state television praising the Communist Party.

Sachs isn't subtle about it. He tells Beijing's propaganda outlets that Trump's policies "will squander U.S. leadership" while China "will diversify its trade to the rest of the world."

Russian and Iranian media immediately amplified Carlson's Pentagon story. Because of course they did. Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing all benefit when America and Israel are at each other's throats.

Smith's analysis cuts through the noise: The real target isn't Israel at all—it's the U.S.-China relationship. Scare Americans about a fictional Israeli takeover to distract from the very real Chinese threat.

The Damage

The irony is thick. Carlson built his brand as a Trump loyalist. Now he's actively sabotaging the administration.

Think about what happens next. Every Republican congressional candidate will face questions about the U.S.-Israel relationship. Local reporters will demand responses to Carlson's claims. Democratic debate moderators in 2028 will weaponize every word.

"Secretary Rubio, why didn't you advise firing Hegseth when Israelis commandeered the Pentagon?"

"Vice President Vance, do you believe Jews killed Charlie Kirk?"

The attacks write themselves.

Radio Silence

Here's what's really concerning: Where are Trump's people?

The president posted two weeks ago slamming his own Justice Department for moving too slowly against Obama-era conspirators. He practically called out Attorney General Pam Bondi by name.

But on Carlson? Crickets from the administration.

Only outside MAGA figures are pushing back. Dinesh D'Souza—quoted in Smith's piece—called it straight: "Tucker is trying to rip MAGA apart ideologically and generationally. Who benefits? The Left! The Islamic jihadis!"

Why the silence from Trump's team? The working theory is that they're afraid of Carlson's audience. They think he helped win the election, so attacking him might divide the base.

This is strategic malpractice.

The fake news media knows it too. Notice they're not pressing the White House for comment on Carlson's wild claims. Why would they? Never interrupt your enemy when he's committing suicide.

The Bigger Problem

There's a growing sense inside MAGA world that Trump's staff doesn't share his urgency.

The president is racing against the clock. His team seems to think they have all the time in the world—that even if they don't finish the job, the next Republican president will.

This is fantasy thinking.

Kamala Harris—possibly the worst presidential candidate in modern history—got 75 million votes after campaigning for barely three months. That's how thin the margin is.

Meanwhile, Trump's own U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia nearly let the statute of limitations expire on James Comey. The president had to personally replace him to get an indictment filed with days to spare.

Even better: Nobody knew Comey's son-in-law worked in that same office until he resigned after the indictment.

If Trump's own prosecutors don't know who's on their staff, how are they supposed to take down the deep state?

The Real Game

Carlson isn't just stirring controversy for clicks. He's running a coordinated demoralization campaign.

Every conspiracy theory he pushes serves multiple purposes:

• Undermines Trump officials when they're scoring wins
• Damages the U.S.-Israel alliance
• Divides evangelical Christians from the Republican base
• Provides ammunition for Democrats
• Advances Chinese and Iranian interests

Whether he's getting paid by foreign actors is almost beside the point. His American audience is funding anti-American propaganda that perfectly aligns with Beijing's goals.

The question isn't whether Carlson is compromised. It's whether Trump's team will stop treating him like an ally before he does permanent damage.

Time's Running Out

Trump voters wanted a return to normalcy. What they're getting is an administration that won't defend itself against attacks from its own supposed supporters.

Three years might be all this administration gets. Every day wasted playing nice with people actively sabotaging the agenda is a day the country can't afford to lose.

Carlson is betting Trump's team won't fight back. So far, he's winning that bet.

The administration needs to make a choice: Defend the president's agenda, or watch it collapse under the weight of conspiracies spread by "allies" doing the enemy's work.

Because here's the truth nobody wants to say out loud: When Tucker Carlson attacks Pete Hegseth for letting Israelis "run through the Pentagon," he's not fighting for MAGA.

He's fighting for its enemies.