Despite Republican Jewish Coalition praise, Vance draws calls to publicly disavow Tucker Carlson

“A lot of people in this room are going to disagree with things that Tucker Carlson or Megyn Kelly or Joe Rogan have said,” Vance said, according to leaked audio.

Vance also forcefully denounced antisemitism and reiterated that the United States is committed to supporting Israel, but stopped short of publicly breaking with Carlson even though he disavowed Nick Fuentes, a hard-right activist, while pushing for the GOP to engage with podcasters like Joe Rogan. “Obviously, I’m not going to go talk to a guy who’s attacked my wife or who said that Hitler was a good guy,” Vance said of Fuentes.

Fuentes shot back against Vance’s comments in a social media post.

“JD Vance threw me under the bus to pander to the Republican Jewish Coalition for the same reason that his pal Tucker did: I’m not in the CIA/Palantir club,” he posted on X. “Every Tucker show is dedicated to attacking Israel but he will never be disavowed because he is cliqued up with Paypal Mafia.”

Vance reportedly drew a standing ovation from the crowd, yet critics outside and inside of the room were not appeased.

Opponents warned that Carlson is to the right what the far-left antisemitic activist Hasan Piker is to Democrats like Michigan Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed. If Vance is considering running for president in 2028, he will need to distance himself from Carlson, some Republicans have warned.

“The Vice President should absolutely disavow Tucker Carlson’s anti-Semitism,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) told the Washington Examiner in a text message. “I don’t want a big tent philosophy if it involves [antisemites].”

Shabbos Kestenbaum, a conservative Jewish campus activist who was at the RJC event, warned the vice president that ignoring Carlson won’t make the issue disappear.

“The Tucker question will continue to dodge Vance the way Piker continues to dodge El Sayed,” Kestenbaum posted on X. “His refusal to unequivocally denounce and condemn Tucker, who just called for Trump’s immediate removal, will make it very hard for the American Jewish community to consider his otherwise stellar policies.”

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, a 2024 candidate for president, also chided Vance for not taking a stance on Carlson.

“Right is right. Wrong is wrong. In life, you must choose a side. You are either with the Tucker Carlson wing of the country or you are with the pro Israel wing of the country. You can’t be both,” Haley posted on X.

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) offered praise for Vance’s overtures to the RJC but also cautioned that antisemitism won’t be tolerated in the Republican Party.

“I think his appearance at RJC was good and I hope to see him continue to work on that relationship,” Fine told the Washington Examiner. “I certainly won’t support anyone who believes Tucker is part of our coalition.”

“I think there are many who share that view,” he added.

Vance’s refusal to split with Carlson is in stark contrast to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), another potential 2028 candidate, who has repeatedly criticized Carlson’s anti-Israel comments. That difference could affect which candidate powerful Jewish donors like Miriam Adelson support in the 2028 primary. It also comes as President Donald Trump has slammed the former Fox News host as “totally irrelevant.”

“I just think the vice president is postponing the inevitable,” said Ari Fleischer, a former White House press secretary who also attended the conference. “I just don’t think that Donald Trump’s Republican Party wants Tucker to linger around.”

But Fleischer dismissed claims that Carlson is comparable to Piker in an interview with the Washington Examiner.

“There’s no comparison between Tucker and Abdul because no one is campaigning with Tucker,” he said. “Democrats are campaigning with Abdul, so I don’t see any similarities.”

Carlson maintains a massively popular podcast and isn’t going away soon. He recently called for Trump to be removed from office, sparking condemnation from Republican lawmakers.

Bacon claimed that Carlson’s comments “got himself in the news,” while Fine called him “a joke and a quack, and I’m not even sure Americans even pay attention to him anymore.”

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One GOP strategist, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, said “Vance’s inability, refusal, and unwillingness to denounce Tucker Carlson will hurt him not just among the small percentage of Jewish voters, but among other voters that try to view the GOP as the the non-crazy party.”

“And certainly supporters, both Jews and evangelical Christians, who have strong support for Israel, grow … unhappier with Vance every day,” they added.