Ex-Fox News host and major conservative star Tucker Carlson claims he — and his staff — were recently the targets of international authorities.
Carlson told the New York Post that he and his staff were detained at an Israeli airport, but current U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said disruption a “routine customs screening.”
Carlson, who has become a vocal critic of U.S./Israel policy and has been accused of using antisemitic language, recently traveled to Israel to interview Huckabee, but refused to leave the Ben Gurion Airport complex, according to the report.
“Men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” Carlson said in a statement to The Post.
“It was bizarre. We’re now out of the country.”
When he arrived, Carlson posted a picture of himself and his business partner, Neil Patel, in front of the Ben Gurion Airport, captioned “Greetings from Israel.”
Greetings from Israel. pic.twitter.com/1uBWvqBNST
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 18, 2026
It was shortly thereafter that Carlson claims he and his staff were then detained.
However, representatives from Israel and Huckabee rejected Carlson’s claims and wrote that “EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions.”
Thanks @EFischberger for a more accurate report. EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions. Even ME going in/out with Diplomatic Passport & Diplomatic Visa. https://t.co/UbblLiznMO
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 18, 2026
The Israel Airports Authority denied all accusations that Carlson’s “entourage” were “denied, delayed, or interrogated.”
“Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers. The conversation took place in a separate room within the VIP lounge solely to protect their privacy and to avoid conducting such a discussion in public,” the IAA wrote.
Israeli Airports Authority:
“Contrary to the reports, Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, delayed, or interrogated.
Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers.
The… https://t.co/8d1OxLIWOr— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) February 18, 2026
Once the news of Carlson’s “detainment” spread, critics across social media were quick to call out the ex-Fox News star’s refusal to leave the airport during his visit.
“Too bad Tucker stayed in the airport in the face of so many invitations to see so many wonderful places. A huge and obviously intentional missed opportunity,” David Friedman, the former US ambassador to Israel during Trump’s first term, wrote on X.
That’s the walkway to the private jet terminal for VIP entry. After the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, the City of David, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Garden of Gethsemene, Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Yad Vashem, the Knesset and about 2 million… https://t.co/1ePbEj3J0Y
— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) February 18, 2026
“He doesn’t realize they don’t stamp passports anymore! Jk he hates Israel and he’s a coward,” a rabbi from Kansas added.
In recent months, Carlson has used his popular podcast platform to bash Israel since he was moved out of Fox News in 2023.
After his Fox News departure, Carlson launched his independent stream “The Tucker Carlson Show” where he has welcomed appearances from renowned antisemites, including most notably Holocaust denier Darryl Cooper and white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
During his discussion with Fuentes, Carlson singled out Huckabee as a “Christian Zionists” he bizarrely asserted was “seized by this brain virus” of supporting Israel
“I dislike [Christian Zionists] more than anybody,” Carlson said.