A Republican congressman has ignited a political firestorm by calling for Tucker Carlson to be prosecuted for treason, escalating a bitter clash between the former cable news star and the Trump administration over alleged contacts with Iran before the recent military strikes.
Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) delivered the blistering accusation on Sunday in a post on X, one day after Carlson claimed the Justice Department would soon charge him for being an unregistered foreign agent. The Ohio lawmaker suggested that if the allegations prove true, Carlson should face imprisonment.
“Everyone has always known Tucker is in love with himself and happy to sell falsehoods for attention. The Left excels at this, when Tucker fully joined them it was just sad,” Miller wrote. “Now? Treason. If Tucker really worked with Iran against America’s interests, he is a traitor and should be prosecuted.”
The extraordinary exchange comes as Carlson, 56, faces potential criminal charges stemming from text messages he allegedly exchanged with contacts in Iran before Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S. and Israeli military operation that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of other leaders. No charges have been filed yet.
On Saturday, Carlson claimed the CIA had recommended to the DOJ that he be prosecuted based on his communications. He denied any wrongdoing but suggested the intelligence community could be aiming to “humiliate and terrify” him with the charges. Carlson did not offer details on who he was texting with or what those texts were about.
The former Fox News host has grown increasingly isolated from conservative circles following his vocal opposition to the Iran strikes. According to Mediaite, The New York Times reported Carlson met with President Donald Trump three times in the month leading up to the war against Iran and was one of the few in the president’s orbit lobbying against military action. Trump did not follow his advice.
Carlson has since called the strikes “absolutely disgusting and evil,” arguing that Operation Epic Fury was being waged strictly on behalf of Israel. He suggested some CIA workers could be targeting him because of his views about the Middle Eastern nation.
President Trump responded by booting Carlson from his Make America Great Again movement. In an interview with ABC’s Jonathan Karl on March 5, Trump dismissed the broadcaster, saying he “has lost his way,” adding “he’s not MAGA” and calling him “really not smart enough to understand” the movement’s principles.
The President has also sharply rejected suggestions that the U.S. attacked Iran because Israel forced its hand. When ABC’s Rachel Scott asked whether Netanyahu pulled the United States into the war, Trump flipped the narrative: “If anything, I might’ve forced Israel’s hand.”
Miller’s attack on Carlson represents a remarkable shift in Republican politics. The congressman’s willingness to publicly call for treason charges against a figure who once commanded enormous influence in conservative media underscores how deeply the Iran war has fractured traditional alliances on the right.
Carlson defended himself in a video statement posted on Saturday, arguing that talking to people in Iran before the war should not constitute a crime. He claimed the CIA discovered his communications by spying on his text messages.
The broadcaster suggested the Department of Justice may be preparing charges under laws governing unregistered foreign agents, which require individuals working on behalf of foreign governments to register with federal authorities. He argued that CIA staffers may be targeting him for his criticism of Israel rather than any genuine national security concerns.
The controversy has put Carlson in an unprecedented position, facing potential criminal prosecution while simultaneously weathering attacks from fellow Republicans who once courted his favor. His transformation from conservative media kingmaker to pariah within Trump’s movement has unfolded with stunning speed.
Legal experts note that prosecutions under foreign agent registration laws are relatively rare and often involve individuals who failed to properly register rather than those accused of more serious espionage-related activities. However, the political context surrounding any potential charges against Carlson could make the case highly contentious.
The Department of Justice has not commented on whether charges are forthcoming, and it remains unclear whether Carlson’s claims about imminent prosecution are accurate or represent his interpretation of ongoing investigative activities.
Miller’s post on X signals that at least some Republican lawmakers are prepared to break with Carlson entirely, viewing his opposition to the Iran strikes as beyond the pale of acceptable dissent within the party.