Tucker Carlson’s recent visit to the White House for a meeting with Donald Trump has sparked renewed tensions within the MAGA movement, igniting what some are calling a civil war among its supporters.

Images of Carlson, who previously anchored at Fox News, smiling in the Oval Office were shared on social media by the Tucker Carlson Network. In these photos, Carlson is seen conversing amicably with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Also present at the meeting was Susie Wiles, the White House Chief of Staff.

The Anti-Defamation League, an organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism, reacted strongly to the meeting on X. They criticized Carlson’s presence in the White House, stating, “Tucker Carlson should have no place in the White House. He’s amplified and platformed antisemitic narratives for years.”

Carlson has faced backlash from within conservative circles over his decision to feature far-right figure and white supremacist Nick Fuentes on his program.

Fox News broadcaster Mark Levin voiced his disapproval, branding Carlson as a “Nazi promoter” for giving Fuentes a platform.

In response to Carlson being invited to the sit-down with Trump, podcaster and former Fox personality Megyn Kelly poked fun at Levin, commenting that the social media post will give him ‘an aneurysm.’ 

Kelly has said her disagreements with Levin date back to working alongside him at Fox News, and in recent weeks has criticized him for attacking other MAGA influencers as the movement shows signs of splintering. 

Under the post Carlson shared to Instagram, his nicotine pouch company ALP also shared a video comment mocking Laura Loomer. 

It’s the second time this month that Carlson has been spotted at the White House. 

Tucker Carlson spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday 

Megyn Kelly commented on the photos joking that fellow conservative commentator Mark Levin would have an ‘aneurysm’ 

Trump has frequently defended Tucker Carlson

He was seen with guests in the East Room of the White House while Trump spoke during an event with oil executives on January 9. As Trump entered the East Room, Carlson could be gleefully clapping.

Levin has become a leading voice in the conservative movement advocating for more US military action abroad, in particular Iran, a stance that has put him increasingly at odds with anti-interventionalist figures, including Carlson. 

‘The American people do not want the Islamo-Nazi regime in Iran to get a nuclear weapon,’ Levin said during one of his broadcasts last spring. 

‘They don’t want them to have missile technology where they can put a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile and hit the United States.’

Levin went on to call Carlson a ‘schmuck’ for his comments about Steve Witkoff, the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East under Trump. 

‘Now he’s free to do what he wants. I believe in free speech. Go ahead, buy a subscription. Do whatever you want, it’s perfectly fine by me. But don’t screw with me, you little bastard, by twisting my words,’ Levin said in a scathing message to Carlson. 

Meanwhile, Kelly has defended her former Fox News colleague, appearing alongside Carlson at a live taping of her podcast in New York last November. 

‘He’s back and he is bigger than ever,’ Kelly gushed when she introduced him as a guest. 

During their discussion, an audience member asked Carlson why he hosted Fuentes on his podcast. 

Mark Levin, pictured with Donald Trump in December, had condemned Carlson’s views on Israel  

Kelly has been a longtime supporter of Carlson and even invited him to film a live taping of her podcast

Tucker Carlson clapped at President Donald Trump entered the East Room of the White House for a press conference on Venezuelan oil on January 9

Other conservative commentators, including Ben Shapiro, have slammed Tucker Carlson for previously hosting Nick Fuentes on his podcast 

‘I don’t know anything really about Nick Fuentes other than he’s attacking my dad, my wife, and my son,’ Carlson answered, as reported at the time by Vanity Fair. 

‘And I was like, Actually, Nick Fuentes is the single-most influential commentator among young men. Period.’

Kelly seemed to agree with Carlson’s reasoning, adding that Fuentes had five million subscribers on the conservative platform, Rumble. 

Whereas Kelly and, seemingly, Trump have softened toward Carlson, other prominent names in the MAGA movement have attempted to oust him entirely.  

Right-wing podcaster Ben Shapiro called Carlson out at Turning Point’s USA AmericaFest conference in December. 

‘If you host a Hitler apologist, Nazi-loving, anti-American piece of refuse like Nick Fuentes… The person who said that Charlie Kirk was a, quote, “idiot”… you ought to own it,’ Shapiro said. 

He also lumped Kelly, Candace Owens, and Steve Bannon into his criticism, calling them ‘frauds’ and ‘grifters.’ 

Carlson spoke after Shapiro at AmericaFest, and used the occasion to levy his own insults against his once-ally, branding Shapiro ‘pompous.’ 

‘It is okay to ask questions. And I thought that was, like, the whole reason we were against the left. They’re not going to force you to get up there and make ritual denunciations.’ 

Shapiro called Kelly and Carlson ‘frauds’ and ‘grifters’ at Turning Point’s USA AmericaFest conference in December. Shapiro is pictured above on a previous episode of Kelly’s podcast 

The president has neglected to publicly take a side in the unfolding MAGA civil war. However, he told the New York Times last week that he doesn’t believe extremists like Nick Fuentes should be welcomed into the movement. 

‘I think we don’t need them. I think we don’t like them,’ he declared. 

Trump referred to his daughter, Ivanka Trump, who converted to Judaism before marrying Jared Kushner. 

‘My daughter happens to be Jewish, beautiful, three grandchildren are Jewish,’ he told the Times. 

‘I’m very proud of them. I’m very proud of the whole, that whole family. I am the least antisemitic person probably there is anywhere in the world.’

However, when specifically asked about Fuentes, Trump said he didn’t know him and brushed off at dinner they had together at Mar-a-Lago in 2022. 

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt condemned Trump’s dinner with Fuentes at a recent appearance at a synagogue in Los Angeles. 

Greenblatt called Owens and Carlson ‘disgusting,’ but praised Levin and Shapiro for ‘pushing back’ on antisemitic beliefs. 

The activist group StopAntisemitism named Carlson as Antisemite of the Year last year. Owens was given the title in 2024. 

Carlson received backlash from figures on the left and right for hosting white supremacist Nick Fuentes

Owens and Carlson have been criticized by other right-wing figures for their views on Israel 

MAGA figures have also feuded over Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Owens has been accused of peddling conspiracy theories that Israel or a shadowy conspiracy was behind the murder. 

‘The people who refused to condemn Candace’s truly vicious attacks – and some of them are speaking here tonight – are guilty of cowardice. Yes, cowardice,’ Shapiro said at AmericaFest.

‘The fact that they have said nothing while Candace has been vomiting all sorts of hideous and conspiratorial nonsense into the public square for years is just as cowardly.’

The Daily Mail has contacted the White House for more information on Carlson’s meeting with Trump.