Transcription
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson ignited new tensions inside the GOP as he sharpened criticism of Israel at Qatar's Doha forum. Carlson blasted Israel and its allies in Washington after GOP Senator Ted Cruz accused him of echoing Qatari narratives.
Ted Cruz accused conservative commentator Tucker Carlson of taking money from Qatar to promote a pro-Hamas and pro-Muslim Brotherhood narrative. Tucker Carlson announced plans to buy property in Qatar, signaling personal ties while denying he takes money from the Gulf State.
Carlson told Qatar's prime minister he has never taken anything from the country and rejects claims he is a tool. He framed buying a home in Doha as defiance, saying he is a free American who will live wherever he chooses. Carlson insisted he is giving money to Qatar, not receiving it, pushing back against charges that he has been bought.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani defended Qatar's lobbying in Washington as a response to foreign-funded disinformation. Thani argued that without these campaigns, Qatar could spend its money on more productive ventures. He stressed that the US-Qatar partnership is mutually beneficial, based on investment rather than foreign aid.
Carlson's trip drew heavy backlash, as critics emphasized Qatar's close links to Hamas and Islamist movements. Qatar has hosted Hamas's political office since 2012 and funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into Gaza.
"Thank you, Sheikh Muhammad, for doing this. Have you been reading your coverage on American social media of this?"
"Well, actually, I've been going through some of them this morning and I saw like a lot of contradicting messages. Pretty intense, I'd say. This country is being denounced as a terror state, terror financing. Very high volume, lots of attacks, including from politicians, sitting US senators, Ted Cruz, for example. And the main criticism seems to revolve around Hamas and the idea is that your country and you specifically are supporters of Hamas, your terror financiers. And I'd like to just get right to the truth of that."
"So my understanding is Hamas is here in Doha because the United States and Israel asked you to host Hamas. Is that true? And if not, what is the truth about Hamas in Doha?"
"Well, thank you. Thank you, Tucker. First of all, look, the starting of the relationship with Hamas and the communication was started back more than 10 years, 13 years ago at the request of the United States, even beyond that, like it was 19 years ago when they first participated in the election. And then when they moved their office back in 2012 here, it was used only for the communication and to facilitate like ceasefires, are facilitating aid. To now, unfortunately, has been attacked for having them here. But when you look, you know, at what's happening within the region, this region, when you look at its conflict, it has the parties of the conflict. Sometimes they are state actors, sometimes they are non-state actors. If you have no one speaking to those non-state actors, how are we going to resolve or to reach a solution at the end of the day? And now we have seen that this communication has led to ceasefires, has led to the release of the hostages, has led to alleviating the suffering of the people over there. And unfortunately, you know, there are like politicians who are trying to use this for to score like short-term political gains, to fuel their narratives in order to like, you know, using to blame, to blame another country for what's happening over there or for their wrong policies."
"All our aid and all our support and financing that went and what they claim that it went to Hamas went to the people and was under a very transparent process that the United States is fully aware about. Israel is the one who's facilitating and it's not one government, it was across governments. Netanyahu, Bennett, we have dealt with all the agencies. Mossad, Shin Bet, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all of them, and the defense, all of them, they were involved in in these aids and the delivery of those aids. So today, when they are claiming that this financing of this is the financing of Qatar to Hamas, it has no basis. That it's just, you know, a way to spread disinformation about a country that doesn't do anything for them, but it's doing things that are against their policies."
"If you just go to Qatar's records with its engagement with the United States for the last 20 years or 30 years, Qatar has never went to the United States and encouraged them to bomb this country or to support this group or that group. We've been always in our dialogues with the United States about how we de-escalate the region, how we bring peace to the region. And this peace cannot happen without an engagement with everyone in the region."
"I've been personally, not to make it about me, but I have been criticized as being a tool of Qatar. And I just want to say what you already know, which is I never taken anything from your country and don't plan to. I am, however, tomorrow buying a place in Qatar, both because I am pay a high check in Doha. Yeah. And I'm doing that because I like the city. I think it's beautiful. But also to make a statement that I'm an American and a free man and I'll be wherever I want to be, which I think is important. But that does kind of leave us in a place where I have not taken any money from Qatar. I have instead given money to Qatar. And I wonder if you feel that that means I've bought you and you will now spew my propaganda."
"Thank you. Just ask me whatever you want me to do for you, I will do it. But look, Tucker, unfortunately, as I told you, there are a lot of players putting a lot of efforts to sabotage the relationship between Qatar and the United States and to try to demonize anyone who will come to this country. Our efforts when we are lobbying or doing our outreach in the United States is to make sure that this relationship is safeguarded. And the relationship for us is mutually beneficial. We are not getting aid from the United States. It's we are instead we are buying from the United States. We are partnering with them. We are investing in the United States. United States investing in Qatar and this relationship has been always a two-way relationship. And we pay all these amounts for lobbying only to protect and to safeguard this relationship. If we were not being attacked and under a lot of disinformation campaigns that's been unfortunately funded by other players who doesn't want to see a US-Qatar relationship flourish, we wouldn't spend this money for better things, you know, to do with the relationship."
"Sheikh Muhammad, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I appreciate it."