Tucker Carlson links Jews to death of Jesus and Charlie Kirk at memorial service for slain conservative leader

Speaking at the memorial service for Charlie Kirk in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, political commentator Tucker Carlson praised Kirk’s sharing of the gospel, comparing him to Jesus. 

However, many fans of Charlie Kirk were disturbed to hear Carlson compare Kirk's death to Jesus’ death in a way that appeared to imply Jewish involvement, and even blame. 

While Carlson has not explicitly blamed Israel for the death of Charlie Kirk outright, as several right-wing conspiracy theorists have, he has consistently claimed that Kirk was beginning to move away from supporting Israel and said that Kirk “hated” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

During his address at the memorial service, Carlson said Kirk’s death reminded him of “my favorite story ever.” 

Complete with a laugh like a cartoon villain, Tucker Carlson uses Charlie Kirk’s funeral to spread an antisemitic blood libel. pic.twitter.com/WPzjn3nxby

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) September 22, 2025

“Charlie would have loved this, not just because he loved large groups of people, but because ultimately he was a Christian evangelist,” Carlson stated. “And it actually reminds me of my favorite story ever.” 

“So it's about 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, and Jesus shows up, and he starts talking about the people in power, and he starts doing the worst thing that you can do, which is telling the truth about people, and they hate it, and they just go bonkers,” Carlson continued. 

“They hate it, and they become obsessed with making him stop. ‘This guy's got to stop talking. We've got to shut this guy up,’” Carlson described the scene.

“And I can just sort of picture the scene in a lamplit room with a bunch of guys sitting around eating hummus, thinking about, ‘What do we do about this guy telling the truth about us? We must make him stop talking!’” 

While ostensibly referring to the death of Jesus, Carlson’s comment about “guys sitting around eating hummus” appeared to be a clear reference to the role of some in the Jewish leadership in Jesus' arrest and crucifixion at the hands of the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate.

The comment also played on contemporary Israelis' love for hummus, a dip made of chickpeas, which has become popular worldwide in recent years.

“And there's always one guy with the bright idea, and I can just hear him say, 'I've got an idea. Why don't we just kill him? That'll shut him up, that'll fix the problem,” Carlson continued. 

The remarks, punctuated with laughter, which seemed out of place for a memorial, implied an antisemitic slant, especially given Carlson’s sharp turn away from supporting Israel over the past couple of years. 

In recent months, Carlson has also hosted several guests who espoused replacement theology on his show, which is watched by millions of people per episode.

"Tucker Carlson used the memorial for Charlie Kirk — a passionate friend of Israel & the Jewish people — to spread antisemitic blood libels," wrote Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Freedom of Democracies (FDD) on X.

"I knew his father, Richard Carlson, Vice-Chair at FDD who strongly supported Jews & Israel. I just can’t fathom what happened to Tucker," Dubowitz added.

Since Kirk's assassination, Carlson and other right-wing figures like Candace Owens, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Matt Gaetz have claimed that Kirk was moving away from supporting Israel and that he was being pressured by Jews and Jewish interest groups to be more supportive of the Jewish State in response. 

Both the executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show and Kirk’s own pastor have denied such reports, saying that Kirk was willing to engage with a range of voices in the conservative field, including those who support Israel and those who have been critical of it.

In his speech, Carlson returned to praising Kirk’s message, even quoting a line from the beatitudes. 

“It doesn't work that way, everything is inverted and the beatitudes tell it, I think, the most crisply,” he remarked. “Everything is sort of the opposite of what you think it's going to be. ‘Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.’ That is true and you can feel it here.”

“The main thing about Charlie and his message, he was bringing the gospel to the country,” Carlson stated. “He was doing the thing that the people in charge hate most, which is calling for them to repent.” 

While acknowledging that “Charlie was a political person who was deeply interested in coalition building and getting the right people in office,” Carlson also said that “he also knew that politics is not the final answer. It can't answer the deepest questions actually, that the only real solution is Jesus.” 

Many figures from the conservative political arena were present at the memorial service, including many from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

Charlie Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk, also took to the podium in an emotionally charged, tearful speech about her husband, where she publicly stated that she forgives Tyler Robinson, the man charged with killing Kirk.

Erika Kirk: "My husband Charlie he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life...On the cross, our savior said, 'Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.' That young man. I forgive him." pic.twitter.com/jy8W7YrmVs

— CSPAN (@cspan) September 21, 2025

"My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life," Erika Kirk said.

"I forgive him because it is what Christ did," she continued. "The answer to hate is not hate."

President Trump also took the stage to pay honor to Charlie Kirk, saying he was killed for speaking for “freedom, justice, and God.” 

“He was violently killed because he spoke for freedom and justice, for God, touched for reason and for common sense,” Trump stated. “He was assassinated because he lived bravely.”

Trump said that Kirk “lived boldly, and he argued brilliantly without apology. He did what was right for our nation.” 

Trump also said that Kirk’s murder was an attack on the “entire nation.” 

“Charlie’s murder was not just an attack on one man or one movement, it was an attack on our entire nation. The gun was pointed at him, but the bullet was aimed at every one of us.”

President Trump also contrasted himself with Charlie and Erika Kirk, saying that he doesn't share their view of forgiveness.

“In a private moment of his dying day, we find everything we need to know about who Charlie Kirk truly was, he was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose. He did not hate his opponents,' Trump said. “He wanted the best for them.” 

“That's where I disagreed with Charlie,” Trump continued. “I hate my opponent and I don't want the best for them, I’m sorry Erika.” 

“But now Erika can talk to me, and the whole group, and maybe they can convince me that that’s not right. I can’t stand my opponent.”