10
Loading video...
By Mandy Taheri
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Tucker Carlson lashed out at the Trump administration over a $2.8 billion arms sale to Israel in a lengthy social media post on Tuesday, saying there is no "justification" for the move while calling out lawmakers he says have taken "millions from the Israel lobby."
Carlson, who was dismissed from Fox News in 2023 after being a central figure in the network's $787.5 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, was once an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump. He has increasingly criticized the administration over foreign policy moves. He has visited Israel during the war in Gaza and has been a vocal critic of U.S. support for Israel.
In the post on X, he said the new arms deal represents sending more than "40,000 tons of bombs" and "only public outrage can stop" the current administration's dealings with Israel.
Read More on News
His comments came shortly after a U.S. official confirmed to The Washington Post that a $2.8 billion package of 40,000 bombs, 20,000 MK-84s and 20,000 BLU-117s to Israel was forthcoming. According to multiple reports, the deal has been sent to congressional committees for approval.
Israel is among the largest recipients of U.S. military aid. Recent polling, however, shows declining support among some Americans for Israel's military operations in Gaza and for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Carlson has regularly targeted the administration over Israel and other foreign policy moves, including calling for Trump to be removed from office over his moves in Iran.
Trump's handling of foreign policy issues has exposed divisions within his political coalition. Some supporters aligned with the "America First" movement have argued that the U.S. should avoid deeper involvement in overseas conflicts, including the war in Gaza, and instead focus on domestic priorities.
A senior Trump administration official told Newsweek on Tuesday, “All foreign arms sales are moving through the appropriate process. We do not comment on pending sales," and a State Department official told Newsweek, "As a matter of policy, the Department does not confirm or comment on proposed arms sales until they have been formally notified to Congress."
Newsweek has reached out to the State Department, Pentagon, White House, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for comment and confirmation via email on Tuesday.
...
What Did Tucker Carlson Say?
"According to an informed federal official, in the coming months the Trump administration plans to send a total of 40,000 Mark 84 and Blu-117 bombs to the government of Israel," Carlson wrote on X. "Each bomb weighs 2,000 pounds."
He continues by discussing the "destruction radius" of MK 84s and accusing Netanyahu of committing "genocide" in Gaza.
Carlson said the sale "appears to be the largest transfer of conventional explosive ordnance from the United States in modern history" and referenced U.S. actions in World War II as a comparison.
Carlson also tied the sale to the war in Iran, saying, “If you wanted to extend the Iran war into the indefinite future, this is exactly what you’d do.”
He said that Israel's actions were “so grotesque and embarrassing that for a moment the Biden administration paused a shipment of Mark 84s.”
The Biden administration had previously halted the delivery of about 1,800 of the bombs and another 1,700 smaller 500-pound bombs.
"I made it clear that if they enter Rafah—and they haven't entered Rafah yet—if they do, I will not supply the weapons that have historically been used to address the situation in Rafah and other cities,” Biden said during a CNN interview in May 2024. Trump resumed the shipments once he took office months later.
Near the end of his post, the political provocateur singled out Senators from both parties and called them "neocons."
"At this point, only four more people need to sign off before the bombs ship to Israel: Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and Congressmen Brian Mast and Gregory Meeks, the top two members of the equivalent House committee," Carlson wrote. "All four are committed neocons. Collectively they’ve taken millions from the Israel lobby. In 2015, Brian Mast traveled to Israel to volunteer for the Israeli military. In 2023, Mast showed up in the House of Representatives wearing an IDF uniform."
He close by saying, “Only public outrage can stop this.”
Other Republicans, like former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was also once a fierce backer of Trump before becoming a vocal critic, shared Carlson’s post, adding, “We did not vote for this. America does not support this.”
She concluded her post, “Our tax dollars and weapons have been used to kill tens of thousands of innocent people. My God, what comes next?”
What Are the Weapons?
The reported sale comes nearly three years after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, in which it killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. The attack triggered Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, where more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities.
The Mark 84, a 2,000-pound general-purpose bomb, has been used by the U.S. military and its allies in conflicts dating back to the Cold War era, including the Vietnam War. Human rights groups and military analysts have long warned that the weapon's large blast radius can cause extensive destruction and increase the risk of civilian casualties when used in densely populated areas. The Mark 84 is known for creating 50-foot-wide craters and can penetrate up to 15 inches of metal.
The Washington Post also reported that the alleged sale includes 20,000 I-2000 Penetrators, bunker-busting bombs used to target deeply buried or underground facilities.
US Military Alliance with Israel
Israel is one of America's closest allies in the Middle East. Under a 10-year security agreement signed in 2016, Washington provides about $3.8 billion annually in military aid and missile defense funding.
Following Hamas’ attack, the U.S. approved billions of dollars in additional military assistance and emergency funding, supplementing other aid packages. In April 2024, Congress passed supplemental appropriations that provided $8.7 billion to Israel.
William D. Hartung, senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute, estimates the U.S. spent an additional $21.7 billion between October 7, 2023, and September 2025.
Shifting Public Opinion
While the U.S.-Israel alliance has historically enjoyed broad support from both major political parties, the war in Gaza has fueled debate in the United States over continued military assistance and Washington's role in the conflict.
About 37 percent of Americans somewhat support the U.S. providing additional economic and military support to Israel, a May New York Times/Siena poll found. A majority, 57 percent, somewhat oppose the U.S. doing so. The poll of 1,507 registered voters was conducted between May 11 and May 15 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
Supporters of the aid argue that the assistance is necessary to help protect a key U.S. ally and maintain regional stability. They contend that Hamas' control of Gaza represents a security threat to Israel and that cutting off military and economic support is impractical.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that among independents, only 27 percent support continuing to provide military and economic support to Israel. About 28 percent have no opinion while 43 percent oppose the matter.
Members of Congress have repeatedly put forward proposals to cut U.S. aid to Israel, including Republican Representative Thomas Massie’s recent amendment to eliminate $3.3 billion in annual support. The proposal was unsuccessful on the floor.
Americans' views on Israel and the Palestinians have shifted in recent years. A June Quinnipiac University poll found that 48 percent of voters said the U.S. is too supportive of Israel, the highest share recorded since the survey began asking the question in 2017. The poll found that 66 percent of Democrats, 55 percent of independents and 20 percent of Republicans believed U.S. support for Israel is too high.
...
A June AP-NORC poll found that 58 percent of Democrats said the U.S. is too supportive of Israel, up from 45 percent in January 2024, while 60 percent of Republicans said the current level of U.S. support is "about right."
Overall, 31 percent of U.S. adults said they believe Israel's military actions in Gaza constitute genocide, while 49 percent said they did not know enough to say and 20 percent said they did not believe they constitute genocide.
The survey also found Democrats have become increasingly supportive of Palestinians while support for Israel has declined within the party. Sixty-two percent of Democrats said the U.S. is not supportive enough of Palestinians, up from 49 percent in January 2024. The survey of 3,040 adults was conducted between June 11 and June 17, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
A May Reuters/Ipsos poll found Israel's favorability rating among Democrats had fallen from 59 percent in 2018 to 22 percent.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Gray R. Thomas.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines