Prominent figures within the MAGA faction are boldly asserting that the Republican Party is experiencing a turbulent separation with Israel.
This ongoing tension, brewing for several months, reached a boiling point last week when Tucker Carlson conducted an interview with Nick Fuentes, a 27-year-old far-right commentator notorious for his anti-Semitic rhetoric.
The interview, which amassed over 20 million views online, sparked a fierce debate among conservatives about the consequences of giving a platform to controversial figures like Fuentes and the offensive nature of their discourse.
Amidst these developments, speculation emerged that the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank in Washington, might be distancing itself from Carlson, leading its president to address the rumors.
Kevin Roberts, Heritage Foundation President, quashed any talk of a rift with Carlson by releasing a video statement in support of the former Fox News host, denouncing a ‘venomous coalition’ he claims is trying to fracture the conservative movement.
Roberts also expressed his strong disapproval of Fuentes’ views, stating there was much to criticize about the 27-year-old’s remarks.
‘The think tank that is most closely identified with the Reagan Revolution heritage, which is revered in the conservative movement right, has come out and supported Tucker Carlson,’ Steve Bannon told the Daily Mail in an interview Friday. ‘The most powerful voice came back, and said, call them a venomous coalition, and Tucker will always have a platform at Heritage. That’s f*****g huge!’
On the other side the the ledger, Emily Austin, a prominent pro-Israel conservative with a massive social media following, said she cut ties with the conservative behemoth.
‘I happen to think Heritage was great prior to this morning, and now I will never engage with them ever again,’ Austin told the Daily Mail.
Former Fox News host and political commentator Tucker Carlson (right) hosted Nick Fuentes (left) on his popular podcast last week
Bannon (pictured) stressed to the Daily Mail how the conservative movement is at an inflection point regarding its relationship with Israel. He defended Carlson’s choice to host Nick Fuentes
President Trump’s office refused the Daily Mail’s request for comment on Fuentes being embraced by some conservative figures
The bond between the conservative and the pro-Israel movements has been established for decades. Bannon says now that relationship is on the brink of collapse, which, if true, could have widespread ramifications for fundraising, party building and get-out-the-vote efforts.
Bannon believes it’s all worth it to bend the party away from Israel.
‘If you even brought up this topic, you were vilified,’ Bannon said of Fuentes’ platforming. He asserted that since Fuentes destroyed Dinesh D’Souza – another well-known conservative commentator – in a debate over Israel, ‘the Israel First crowd is apoplectic because their ultimate power of de-platforming and shaming is shattered – forever.’
With revenue exceeding $100 million annually, The Heritage Foundation is one of the most powerful conservative think tanks operating in the country.
Bannon, a close confidant of President Trump, told the Daily Mail that many of the top staffers at Heritage now run White House.
‘There are many people from these think tanks, particularly from Heritage that now staff the administration. Robertson’s voice is very powerful. It’s very powerful,’ Bannon said.
When given the opportunity to comment on Fuentes and the Carlson interview, the offices of President Trump and Vice President JD Vance both refused.
For Vance’s part, he has a history with Fuentes, who targeted the race and religion of his wife, Usha Vance, in 2024. At the time, Vance said Fuentes was a ‘loser’ who should be ignored.
‘Of course it doesn’t have a place in the MAGA movement,’ Vance told CBS News last year when pressed on Fuentes’ attacks on his wife.
Vice President JD Vance’s office refused the Daily Mail’s request for comment on Fuentes, but last year the VP called the 27-year-old a ‘loser’ that should be disavowed by the MAGA movement
Kevin Roberts, president of The Heritage Foundation, defended Carlson’s hosting of Fuentes and slammed a ‘venomous coalition’ of unnamed conservatives for attacking the political pundit
The Heritage Foundation’s headquarters is a massive complex just blocks from the US Capitol
During the interview Carlson interview last week, Fuentes also targeted pro-Israel conservative figures, such as US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Senator Ted Cruz for being ‘Christian Zionists,’ adding, ‘I dislike them more than anybody…because it’s Christian heresy.’
Roberts refused to condemn Carlson, and instead claimed Christians can call out Israel without being anti-Semitic.
‘Christians can critique the State of Israel without being anti-Semitic, and of course, anti-Semitism should be condemned,’ Roberts said. ‘My loyalty as a Christian and as an American is to Christ first and to America always.’
Roberts directly addressed Fuentes by noting that he should not be canceled by conservatives.
‘When we disagree with a person’s thoughts and opinions, we challenge those ideas in debate, and we have seen success in this approach as we continue to dismantle the vile ideas of the left,’ Roberts said.
Roberts’ commentary has stirred acrimony within his organization.
‘Nick Fuentes is a disgusting, anti-American, antisemitic loser. He is not a conservative, not America First, and not an ally of President Trump or any conservative organization,’ a Heritage staffer told the Daily Mail on condition of anonymity.
‘In his own words, Nick Fuentes is an ally of Stalin, Hitler and the Taliban. That is not someone with ideas worthy of debate. Conservatives should pray he gets the help he needs, not give him even an inch of space in our movement.’
One senior GOP Senate staffer expressed concern over the right’s half-embrace of Fuentes, noting how he’s ‘a terrible person,’ and that lawmakers are starting to feel pressure over how closely they should back Israel.
‘Look at the right among members publicly. Fissures are starting,’ the staffer said.
Pro-Israel conservative influencer Austin said she will ‘never engage’ with The Heritage Foundation again after it voiced support for Tucker Carlson this week
Bannon also claimed that the pro-Israel wing of conservatives, including figures like Mark Levin, will continue attacking Carlson by accusing him of taking money from wealthy Gulf nations — but he insists their argument won’t be effective.
‘Tel Aviv Levin and this crowd went absolutely nuts when Tucker talked to Fuentes,’ Bannon added. ‘They hate Tucker. They say he’s taking money from Qatar to smear all the time.’
Recently, accusations over which Republican figures are funded by foreign states, namely Israel and Qatar, have been commonplace in dialogue on the right.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Carlson are just some of those who have been alleged to receive support from Qatar. On the other side of the GOP spectrum, Cruz and Huckabee have also been hit with allegations of Israeli support.
‘I think Tucker is funded by Qatar, and I feel like Nick Fuentes just genuinely, to his core, hates Jews and blames everything on Jews,’ Austin added. ‘Tucker lately is not even acting like he’s pro-America anymore.’
While Senator Ted Cruz has been noticeably outspoken about the ‘garbage’ anti-Semitism spewing out of his party, other GOP lawmakers are keeping quiet.
Representatives for Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune did not respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment on Fuentes.
Democrats have identified the intra-GOP rupture as an opportunity.
‘I’m not at all surprised to see Tucker Carlson and other MAGA figures embracing Nick Fuentes — a proud white supremacist who’s gaining serious clout, especially now that Charlie Kirk is dead,’ Democratic strategist Mike Nellis told the Daily Mail.
‘We’re going to see Fuentes welcomed by Trump, JD Vance and other Republican leaders — just like we’ve seen with every other extremist in the MAGA movement.’
