Overview
- During a Thursday night event hosted by Megyn Kelly, Ben Shapiro rebuked her after she echoed Tucker Carlson’s framing of Nicolás Maduro as culturally conservative.
- Shapiro exclaimed, “Who gives a sh*t!?,” called Maduro “a communist dictator,” and accused Carlson of laundering terrible ideas by praising Russia and downplaying Venezuela’s regime.
- The exchange unfolded as Shapiro revisited his feud with Carlson, citing Carlson’s interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes as a key flashpoint.
- Kelly has publicly defended Carlson as a friend and said she does not view him as antisemitic, while Carlson told Kelly he does not need to prove he is a good person.
- The controversy has weighed on conservative institutions, with Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts apologizing for initially defending Carlson and the think tank experiencing staffing turmoil.