Jacob Rees-Mogg has accused US rightwing commentator Tucker Carlson of “verging on defending Hitler” after a podcast conversation recorded in the former minister’s home.
During the exchange, Carlson — described by critics as a Vladimir Putin sympathiser — repeatedly argued that the West had provoked Russian aggression. He also said, of the hypothetical that Britain might have been defeated by Adolf Hitler, “Who cares?”, remarks that prompted Rees-Mogg to defend the decision to join the fight against Nazi Germany.
Rees-Mogg, a prominent figure in the Conservative Party, challenged Carlson’s framing of historical and contemporary conflicts and reiterated the case for Britain’s wartime stance. The interview was presented as a wide-ranging discussion but drew notice specifically for the comments about both World War Two and present-day geopolitics.
The encounter underscores the sharp contrast between the two men’s perspectives: Rees-Mogg speaking as a former cabinet minister in the UK, and Carlson as a US media figure whose commentary on Russia and Western policy has attracted controversy. The remarks have circulated online following the podcast’s release, reigniting debate over how political leaders and commentators interpret past wars and current international tensions.