(LifeSiteNews) — Tucker Carlson accused prominent Christian supporters of Israel of spreading “heresy,” declaring that “the ‘chosen people’ are those who choose Jesus.”
The remarks capped a program in which Carlson outlined four steps to reset U.S. policy toward Israel – gaining global perspective, recovering national self-respect, restoring a sense of American citizenship, and “getting our theology right” – before bringing on economist Jeffrey Sachs for analysis.
Carlson devoted his sharpest words to Christian leaders who frame support for Israel as a religious obligation, saying many American Christians – the largest bloc of Israel supporters – have embraced “a Christian heresy, the oldest of the Christian heresies, which is that God somehow prefers some people based on their DNA.”
He argued that this was “the opposite of the Christian message,” adding that “the whole point of Christianity is that that is no longer true.”
“There is no ‘chosen people,’” he said, while affirming the New Covenant is open to all men, regardless of race. “The ‘chosen people’ are people who choose Jesus,” he said a second time.
“This is not an anti-Semitic message,” Carlson said. “It’s the Christian message. It’s the core Christian message.”
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He contrasted this with remarks from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who told a Republican audience that “if America pulls the plug on Israel, God will pull the plug on us.” Carlson dismissed the line as dangerous and foreign to the Christian message.
“God will kill you if you don’t support Bibi Netanyahu,” Carlson said, summarizing Graham’s position. “That’s the Christian perspective? Really?”
He said politicians and pastors who teach otherwise are proclaiming a “heresy,” which he categorized as “deranged,” due to it being used as “a justification for killing the innocent.”
Carlson’s comments echo the conversation he had with Ted Cruz earlier in the year. Cruz had attempted to invoke Holy Scripture to justify supporting regime change in Iran, claiming that “those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed.” Carlson challenged the idea that this justified supporting Israel’s military interventions abroad.
On the moral question, he also criticized Israel’s “secular, abortion-on-demand government.” He took care not to suggest that all killing is immoral, stating that “people who have done nothing wrong cannot be killed.”
Carlson’s comments on the use of lethal force are in keeping with Catholic teaching: the Catechism of the Council of Trent lists capital punishment along with self-defense and just war as “kinds of killing [which] are not forbidden by this commandment.” By contrast, Leo XIV recently criticized support for the death penalty as “not really pro-life.”
Although an Episcopalian, Carlson has frequently expressed admiration for the Catholic Church, and his rejection of popular evangelical views on Israel may suggest a growing closeness.
However, observers note that similar trajectories, such as the late Charlie Kirk’s, have sometimes been disrupted by the doctrinal turmoil in Rome and remarks such as Leo XIV’s.
Charlie Kirk revealed the #1 reason why he didn’t become Catholic was POPE FRANCIS pic.twitter.com/gpZ3dH9HDm
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) September 17, 2025
Carlson rounded off the segment with strong words for his opponents. “If you find anyone leveraging the message of Jesus to justify the killing of innocents, that person is committing heresy.”