[Editor's note: The above video is via Media Matters - transcript here.]
The GOP continues to experience more fallout over its affiliation with the antisemitic, Holocaust-denying podcaster Nick Fuentes.
On Monday, Heritage Foundation Board of Trustees member Robert P. George announced that he was stepping down after President Kevin Roberts defended right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson for interviewing Fuentes.
“I have resigned from the board of the Heritage Foundation. I could not remain without a full retraction of the video released by Kevin Roberts, speaking for and in the name of Heritage, on October 30th,” George wrote on Facebook.
Roberts initially defended Carlson’s decision to interview Fuentes, complaining that a “venomous coalition” of people had condemned Carlson for giving the white supremacist a platform. Fuentes has spent years spewing open bigotry of Jewish and Black people. But to be fair, Carlson is no stranger to racist rhetoric himself.
A few days later, Roberts pulled back on his support during a Heritage Foundation town hall, which was leaked.
“I made a mistake and I let you down, and I let down this institution,” he said.
In addition to George, at least seven other Heritage employees and fellows have left the organization over the Fuentes interview.
But one major Republican figure is perfectly fine with the controversial interview: President Donald Trump.
Speaking with reporters Sunday, Trump backed Carlson—who has campaigned with him—and his decision to platform an antisemite.
“You can’t tell him who to interview. If he wants to interview Nick Fuentes, I don’t know much about him, but if he wants to do it, get the word out,” Trump said. “People have to decide.”
In response, Fuentes shared a video of Trump’s comments, writing, “Thank you Mr. President!”
Trump hosted Fuentes for dinner at Mar-a-Lago in 2022, along with rapper Kanye West—who has fully embraced antisemitic conspiracy theories and bigotry.
Despite the Trump administration’s claims that it is fighting antisemitism, Trump has a history of indulging in anti-Jewish rhetoric. Most infamously, he called neo-Nazis “very fine people,” and has used antisemitic tropes in his campaigns.
The right has an antisemitism problem—and it goes all the way up to the White House.
