Radio host and Fox News commentator Mark Levin is known for his fiery takes on political issues.
But his latest outburst may have crossed a line that can’t be uncrossed.
And Mark Levin picked a fight with Tucker Carlson that may have just destroyed his influence.
Radio host unleashes explosive personal attack that has everyone talking
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson may be on his own now with his independent show, but that didn’t stop him from becoming the center of a major controversy within conservative media circles.
On a recent episode of his show, Carlson made comments about someone supposedly accusing “the Trump administration of anti-Semitism for calling someone a neocon.”
Carlson went on to say, “If you’re calling Steve Witkoff an anti-Semite on Twitter, like, you know you’re losing, right?”
Dave Smith and Tucker Carlson react to Mark Levin implying that Steve Witkoff is an antisemite for calling someone a neocon:
“[Levin] seems to have turned his program over to advocating for war with Iran . . . If you are calling Steve Witkoff an antisemite on Twitter, you know… pic.twitter.com/4BbEVp7wpB
— Liam McCollum (@MLiamMcCollum) May 13, 2025
These remarks apparently hit a nerve with Mark Levin, who didn’t hold back in his response.
On his radio show Tuesday, Levin unloaded on Carlson in an explosive rant, referring to him throughout as “Chatsworth Osborne Jr.” – a nickname originally given to Carlson by the late Rush Limbaugh because of the “goofy” bowtie Carlson used to wear on air.
“So shmuck picks a fight with me, doesn’t call me,” Levin began, before launching into a detailed explanation of why he believes the term “neoconservative” is problematic in certain contexts.
Levin claims “neocon” is often a coded anti-Semitic term
Levin argued that “neoconservative” has become “sort of a nebulous term” but is often used in far-right circles as a substitute for “Jew.”
“You see, all the neocons are gone. So why do they keep using the word neoconservative? Notice they don’t use hawk, interventionist. Neocon! Why do they keep saying neocon? Because many of the neoconservatives were old time, left-wing, Democrat Jews,” Levin explained.
Despite Levin’s claim that “all the neocons are gone,” many political observers would consider Levin himself a neoconservative based on his strong advocacy for interventionist foreign policies, particularly in the Middle East.
Neoconservatives have been increasingly sidelined during the Trump era as the President and his supporters have reoriented Republican foreign policy around the America First doctrine, which rejects the Democrat and neocon-supported “forever wars” that have cost American lives and trillions of dollars overseas.
He didn’t hold back in his assessment of Carlson’s intentions: “Chatsworth knows it. I know it, and many of the people that use that phrase either don’t know what they’re talking about, but in the magazines and on the internet, they know it.”
Levin continued, “They’re not going to say the Jews are dragging us into a war, they’ll say Israel is, Netanyahu is. They’re not gonna say the Jews this and the Jews-, so they use neocon. Chatsworth is smart enough to know what he’s doing.”
“Don’t screw with me, you little bastard”
As Levin’s rant intensified, he raised his voice and delivered a direct threat to Carlson.
“The American people do not want the Islamo-Nazi regime in Iran to get a nuclear weapon,” Levin said, defending his stance on Iran. “And the fact that they don’t want that doesn’t make them a warmonger, a neocon, or anything else. It makes them patriotic Americans.”
Levin expressed hope that Donald Trump would be able to resolve tensions with Iran without resorting to war, but remained skeptical due to Iran’s history of violating agreements.
By the end of his tirade, Levin delivered his most pointed message directly to Carlson: “Now he’s free to do what he wants. I believe in free speech. Go ahead, buy a subscription. Do whatever you want, it’s perfectly fine by me. But don’t screw with me, you little bastard, by twisting my words.”
He added, “And you should have picked up the phone because I would have cleared things up for you. You got sucked in by Mediaite and others. Oh, I’ll leave it here for now. I’ll leave it here, for now. We shall see.”
The shifting landscape of conservative foreign policy
This explosive exchange highlights the growing divisions within conservative media over foreign policy. Tucker Carlson, once Fox News’s top-rated host, left the network in 2023 and has since started his own independent show where he has been more vocal in his America First foreign policy views.
The spat exemplifies the ongoing battle between the traditional interventionist wing of the Republican Party – represented by figures like Levin – and the growing America First movement championed by President Trump and his supporters.
Since President Trump first took office in 2017, the Republican Party’s stance on foreign policy has undergone a significant transformation. The America First approach emphasizes reducing American involvement in foreign conflicts, focusing on domestic priorities, and avoiding costly wars that drain American resources without clear benefits to national security.
This shift has marginalized traditional neoconservative voices like Levin who have long advocated for more aggressive foreign policy positions, particularly regarding Iran and the broader Middle East. Carlson, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the most prominent media voices supporting the America First approach.
As of this writing, Carlson has not publicly responded to Levin’s comments.
