Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson stated in a podcast interview that the United Kingdom should not have fought World War II. During an hour-long interview with Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, he said he "never understood why fight the Second World War in the first place." "Hitler said that 15% of Poland was once Germany and it was given to Poland at the Treaty of Versailles," he said. "I don't think it was a good thing for you at all," he said.

He said: "There are a lot of people in Britain who can’t speak English. So it would be nice to have at least a European language spoken in your country."

He argued that Britain had no strategic interest in defending Poland from Nazi invasion. He told Rees-Mogg: "The UK had nothing to do with it at all. And they destroyed their empire and their country fighting this war that they still pretend was a good idea, but it wasn't."

He challenged the historical narrative regarding the start of the conflict. He stated: "The idea that Hitler just randomly rolled into Poland is a lie… Hitler repeatedly said, ‘I do not want to go to war with the UK.’" He added that Hitler claimed 15% of Poland was once Germany and was given to Poland at the Treaty of Versailles. Regarding this claim, he said: "That was German territory with Germans in it. That was his case. And by the way, that was true."

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, a former UK business secretary who lost his parliamentary seat in 2024, pushed back against these assertions. Rees-Mogg asserted that World War II "was the classic good versus evil." He stated: "Germany would eventually have invaded us." Rees-Mogg told Carlson: "I'm very surprised you're verging on defending Hitler. I think this is not really what you want to be doing." He replied: "Yeah, I guess I'm just a secret Nazi. I'm actually not a secret Nazi … and hardly a public Nazi. I'm just someone who tries to think clearly about cause and effect."

Mike Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, publicly criticized him for suggesting that the UK should have allowed Nazi Germany to conquer Europe. He posted on X: "When it seemed impossible for Toxic Tucker to descend deeper into the sewer here he goes opining that UK should have let Nazis take over. Forget that Hitler murdered 11 million people? I thought Tucker was against killing? He needs help. Serious help."

What's New

He stated regarding the prospect of Britain losing to Hitler: Who cares? In 2021, he faced criticism for suggesting that the U.S. should have stayed neutral in World War II, stating that the war led to the loss of American sovereignty and that the U.S. had no real stake in the conflict, echoing similar sentiments expressed in his recent interview with Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg. Mike Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, publicly criticized him for suggesting that the UK should have allowed Nazi Germany to conquer Europe, calling it a dangerous and morally bankrupt position, and emphasized the catastrophic consequences of a Nazi victory. Hitler's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, led to the outbreak of World War II, with the UK and France declaring war on Germany two days later, marking the beginning of a global conflict that resulted in an estimated 70–85 million fatalities worldwide, according to the United Nations. The Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, ceded approximately 10% of German territory to Poland, including areas such as the Polish Corridor and parts of Prussia, which were home to significant German populations, supporting Hitler's claim that these regions were historically German, though the treaty's legitimacy was widely accepted at the time.

Why It Matters

These comments reflect a documented pattern in his public statements regarding historical conflicts. In 2021, he faced criticism for suggesting that the U.S. should have stayed neutral in World War II, stating that the war led to the loss of American sovereignty and that the U.S. had no real stake in the conflict. His 2023 book 'Perverted by Design' also criticized the U.S. military's role in the war and questioned the necessity of defeating Hitler. Additionally, he has hosted and promoted Darryl Cooper, whom he called the most important popular historian in the United States, on his podcast.

The interview shows a contrast between his skepticism and the established historical view defended by Rees-Mogg. While he questioned the value of the war, Rees-Mogg described it as a moral imperative. The conflict began after Hitler's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, leading to an estimated 70–85 million fatalities worldwide, according to the United Nations.