Tucker Carlson crowned 2025 'Antisemite of the Year' by watchdog group

A watchdog group declared that media personality Tucker Carlson is the 2025 "Antisemite of the Year," highlighting the political commentator’s false statements about Israel and platforming of individuals who are infamous for normalizing prejudice against Jews.

StopAntisemitism, an organization founded in 2018 that says its mission is to expose groups or individuals that incite hatred towards Jews, declared Carlson as the winner in its annual poll. On its website, the group states that the “distinct dishonor is reserved for the most bigoted and hateful individual who is crowned the ‘Antisemite of the Year.’”

The media personality won the “dishonor” over several other contenders, including the finalists, mixed martial arts fighter Bryce Mitchell and conspiracy theorist Stew Peters. 

During an interview earlier this year, Mitchell referred to Adolf Hitler as “a good guy” in addition to other remarks that downplayed the Holocaust, which he later apologized for after his comments received backlash. 

As for Peters, the internet personality shared a poll last December on X that gave users the option of choosing between the Holocaust, Santa and the North Pole, asking them: “Which fairytale is more [believable]?”

According to a breakdown video explaining the reason Carlson was awarded such a distinction, the group says the former Fox News host turned independent podcaster uses “his platform of millions to normalize [antisemitism].” 

The watchdog group highlighted Carlson’s interview with Nick Fuentes, a far-right political commentator and provocateur known for spreading antisemitic rhetoric and lauding Hitler and Stalin. 

“[Carlson] has built a reputation for giving a platform to dangerous ideas, allowing guests to spread falsehoods and [antisemitic] narratives,” StopAntisemitism stated in the breakdown video.

At one point during the interview with Fuentes, the media personality declared that he disliked Christian Zionists — Christians who support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State — “more than anyone,” declaring that their beliefs are “Christian heresy.”

“[Carlson] has repeatedly amplified [antisemitic] narratives, normalizing prejudice and feeding extremists with familiar, damaging tropes,” StopAntisemitism declared in the video, highlighting a clip of Carlson’s speech during the September memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Glendale, Arizona.

StopAntisemitism and several conservative commentators, including Daily Wire host Ben Shapiro, noted that Carlson described the murder of Jesus Christ in a way that sounded as if he meant to imply the Jews or Israel played a role in Kirk’s assassination.

Speaking on Thursday at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest Conference, Shapiro denounced Carlson for platforming figures like Fuentes, saying that hosts are responsible for the guests they invite on their shows. 

During the speech, Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew, warned attendees about several strategies influencers who claim to hold conservative values use to manipulate their audiences and spread conspiracy theories.

“There is a reason that Charlie Kirk despised Nick Fuentes and indeed, even chided Dinesh D'Souza for debating him,” the Daily Wire host stated. “He knew that Nick Fuentes is an evil troll and that building him up is an act of moral imbecility. And that is precisely what Tucker Carlson did.”

Shapiro also called out former Daily Wire employee Candace Owens during his speech at the AmericaFest Conference. StopAntisemitism previously crowned Owens as the 2024 "Antisemite of the Year," highlighting the political pundit’s remarks about the Holocaust, Israel and the Jewish community.

In a social media post at the time, StopAntisemitism reported that Owens won the award via a poll with over 30,000 votes. Other contenders for the award included environmental activist Greta Thunberg and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.

"Once celebrated for her unapologetic takes that catapulted her into the conservative spotlight, Owens was given platforms by prominent Jewish conservatives like Dennis Prager and Ben Shapiro," the group stated.

"But after Hamas' October 7th massacre, she revealed her shocking antisemitism, leading to her departure from Shapiro's Daily Wire and condemnation from PragerU."