Former Fox News host and conservative star Tucker Carlson “blasted” President Donald Trump’s administration over corruption, and the end is near!
At least, if you believe the mainstream media reports.
“Tucker Carlson Admits It: Trump Reeks of Corruption,” wrote The New Republic on Thursday. “Tucker Carlson on Trump Organization Middle East deals: ‘Seems like corruption’,” said The Hill. “Tucker Carlson Criticizes Trump Deal to Build Hotels and Resorts in Gulf,” reported Mediaite.
The only problem is that we have the actual transcript from the full video, from which the media pulled a moment from a casual exchange between Tucker Carlson and podcast guest Shawn Ryan — and dishonestly ran with it.
A former staffer of President Barack Obama even shared the clip on X.
First, take a look… then we’ll share the full context —
“Well, it seems like corruption, yeah” @TuckerCarlson on the Trump organization cutting real-estate deals in the Middle East while Trump is President. pic.twitter.com/NcRIFxl6hF
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) May 21, 2025
During Tuesday’s episode of “The Tucker Carlson Show,” Ryan did express concerns about the timing of Trump Organization business deals in the Middle East coinciding with the president’s recent diplomatic trip to the region.
Many people, including outspoken conservatives, have also expressed concerns, including Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana.
“I’m not comfortable accepting it,” Young, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said about a recent deal between the Department of Defense and Qatar for their gift of a new Air Force One plane.
“I think there are national security concerns that need to be addressed about listening devices, safety specs and potentially other issues. We will ask that those be addressed.”
Hardly a “blasting” — instead, a serious adult discussion by an elected leader. Ryan said much of the same.
“I’m going to get blasted for this. What I see is all these negotiations going on in the Middle East and then I don’t know when these buildings were approved or when these deals got done, but then I also see like, oh, there’s a brand new Hotel going up in Dubai or Abu Dhabi and another one going up in Doha, I think,” Ryan said.
“And I’m like, did these just get done also with the deals that just happened over there or was this earlier? You would probably know,” he told Carlson.
Carlson denied he had any inside or special knowledge. “No, I don’t know. I’ve not made $1 in the Middle East. Not one. I’m just a visitor and a traveler and a watcher.”
When Ryan said the timing “kind of worries me,” Carlson replied “Well, it seems like corruption. Yeah.” A comment that was immediately followed by laughter.
Ironically, the actual focus of the conversation was Ryan’s concern about Americans losing their ability to think critically about political issues — because of their tribalism.
Ryan complained that people have become so tribal that any constructive criticism results in getting “blasted.”
“The US has just become so tribal now and you cannot criticize or give any constructive criticism to what’s happening without getting blasted,” Ryan said. “You guys have 100% lost all critical thinking skills. You’re not thinking on your own and you are given the values that you align with, you’re no longer going off the way you were raised or what’s true to you as a person.”
Carlson backed Ryan’s assessment about tribalism and loss of critical thinking among many voters.
“I agree with every word. And I can’t help but note because I was there for it at the beginning of the Internet. We were told that all of this information would make us better informed and would increase our critical thinking abilities and that people wouldn’t have to follow the propaganda because they would have all the information,” Carlson said. “And the opposite has turned out to be true.”
For decades, mainstream media outlets regularly selectively edit conversations than reporting the full context of what was actually said — often to attack Republicans, critics claim. Indeed, Trump himself is embroiled in a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News over their editing of an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris right before the 2024 presidential election.
Indeed, Ryan had praised several Trump administration accomplishments during the interview, including eliminating the forced federal DEI programs and border security efforts under Tom Homan. His concerns about Middle East business deals are valid, as are Carlson’s questions.
Seeking information and asking questions is a good thing.
The Trump Organization has recently announced several new projects in the Middle East, including luxury developments in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
The White House has defended against conflict of interest concerns, noting that Trump’s assets are managed through a trust and that the organization has agreed not to make direct deals with foreign governments.
Take a look at the transcript between Ryan and Carlson —
TUCKER CARLSON: What do you think the administration is going so far? How about this?
SHAWN RYAN: I think there’s some really—
TUCKER CARLSON: Look, what do you like, what don’t you like?
SHAWN RYAN: I like that they got rid of the DEI stuff.
TUCKER CARLSON: Yeah.
SHAWN RYAN: I think that was low hanging fruit. I think that they fixed it really quick. I don’t think we need to harp on it anymore and let’s move on. And I just interviewed Tom Homan. What he’s done with the border seems really impressive to me. So I’m really happy about those things. I’m not happy that the Epstein files have not come to fruition yet.
TUCKER CARLSON: I’m sure they’re coming out any day now, wouldn’t you think?
SHAWN RYAN: Yeah, I won’t hold my breath. But I think that we still need a lot of work, a lot of work. And I am losing hope.
TUCKER CARLSON: Why? What specifically makes you feel hopeless?
SHAWN RYAN: Oh, man. I mean, who’s controlling our country and the influences and why haven’t we seen these things? And it makes me skeptical, you know, and I don’t hear—some of this is I may just not know, because I don’t pretend to know everything that’s going on and I don’t put the time in that I would need to figure it all out. But there’s things like the energy grid and it’s like, man, we really need to do something with our grid like yesterday.
TUCKER CARLSON: And, but is that more important than bombing Iran?
SHAWN RYAN: Yeah, yeah, it is. And that stuff—I want to know what the real motivations are. And I love everything he says and the majority of everything that he says. But I’d like to see the Ukraine-Russia thing finally come to an end. And I like what they’ve done with Doha. I think that maybe they’ve got a little bit more than they need to. But you know, there’s always human error with everything.
But, I’m going to get blasted for this. What I see is all these negotiations going on in the Middle East and then I don’t know when these buildings were approved or when these deals got done, but then I also see like, oh, there’s a brand new Hotel going up in Dubai or Abu Dhabi and another one going up in Doha, I think. And I’m like, did these just get done also with the deals that just happened over there or was this earlier? You would probably know.
TUCKER CARLSON: No, I don’t know.
SHAWN RYAN: You don’t.
TUCKER CARLSON: I’ve not made $1 in the Middle East. Not one.
SHAWN RYAN: Well, I mean, you’re a lot more on the inside than I am.
TUCKER CARLSON: No, no. I’m just a visitor and a traveler and a watcher. But I don’t—
SHAWN RYAN: That stuff kind of worries me. You know, it’s—
TUCKER CARLSON: Well, it seems like corruption. Yeah.
The Loss of Critical Thinking
SHAWN RYAN: But you know what bothers me more than any of this? That people have just lost the ability to think critically. And if you do say something about the tariffs or is it Greenland or Iceland, I can’t even remember. Or whatever.
TUCKER CARLSON: The big one.
SHAWN RYAN: Yeah. If you throw any criticism towards anybody that is in a position of power—I mean, the US has just become so tribal now and you cannot criticize or give any constructive criticism to what’s happening without getting blasted. It’s sad. It’s like, man, you guys have 100% lost all critical thinking skills. You’re not thinking on your own and you are given the values that you align with, you’re no longer going off the way you were raised or what’s true to you as a person.
I think a lot of people don’t even know what that is anymore. And they’re just told they align with a tribe. Whatever that tribe says they’re going to do, they’re going to say they’re going to follow. And that’s sad. And I think that that could resemble the beginning of the end.
TUCKER CARLSON: I agree with every word. And I can’t help but note because I was there for it at the beginning of the Internet. We were told that all of this information would make us better informed and would increase our critical thinking abilities and that people wouldn’t have to follow the propaganda because they would have all the information. And the opposite has turned out to be true. People seem much easier to control than ever before.