Piers Morgan surprisingly joined forces with Tucker Carlson in a widely viewed interview that garnered over 3.8 million combined views across both their channels. During their conversation, the two media personalities defended Muslims in Western society, particularly in the United Kingdom, where nearly 4 million Muslims represent about 6 percent of the population. This stance appears especially noteworthy given Britain’s historical significance as once “the most powerful country in the history of the world” that controlled “literally a quarter of the Earth’s surface”.
Despite their often controversial opinions on other matters, both commentators found common ground when discussing Muslim communities. Their unexpected alliance comes at a time when religious demographics in the UK are shifting significantly, with nearly half of the population still identifying as Christian, while almost 40 percent now report no religious belief. Throughout their discussion, the two influential figures challenged several anti-Muslim narratives that have become increasingly common in Western media circles.
Piers Morgan and Tucker Carlson reject anti-Muslim narratives
“seems like a fraud” — Tucker Carlson, American conservative commentator and former Fox News host
In their recent conversation, both media figures directly confronted what they described as manufactured anti-Muslim sentiment. Morgan characterized the portrayal of Muslims in Britain as distorted, stating that “the over-amplification of the Islam problem” has been “massively overstated”.
Carlson concurred, offering an unusually blunt assessment: “That’s an op obviously. Hate the Muslims. No, we know where that’s coming from”. This statement marks a notable departure from his previous rhetoric, considering his past controversies regarding Muslim communities.
“Hatred is hatred is hatred,” Morgan declared, adding that “the moment you’re in the hate game, then I think you’re losing whatever argument it is you’re trying to have”. Carlson echoed this sentiment, equating anti-Muslim prejudice with hatred toward Christians or Jews.
Furthermore, Carlson made the striking claim that he had “never argued with an actual Muslim,” noting, “We probably agree on a lot”. In fact, he repeatedly emphasized having “more in common with the sincerely religious Pakistani cab driver” than with “secular self-hating whites”.
This alignment between Morgan and Carlson emerges as particularly unexpected given the latter’s documented history. Previously, the Council on American-Islamic Relations had condemned Carlson for anti-immigrant attacks, describing him as having “a long history of Islamophobic, anti-immigrant, white supremacist rhetoric“.
Tommy Robinson faces criticism from both commentators
“he’s guilty of multiple crimes … thuggery, fraud, you name it.” — Piers Morgan, British journalist and broadcaster
Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, commonly known as Tommy Robinson, became a central target of criticism during the Morgan-Carlson exchange. Notably, both commentators expressed strong condemnation of the far-right activist despite their differences on other issues.
Morgan minced no words in his assessment, labeling Robinson a “convicted thug and fraudster” who deliberately stokes anti-Muslim sentiment. Additionally, he denounced Robinson as “a little shit-stirrer”, accusing him of manipulating American audiences into believing Britain teeters on the edge of civil war. According to Morgan, Robinson’s criminal record includes “thuggery, fraud, you name it”.
The record confirms Robinson has served five prison terms between 2005 and 2025. Moreover, courts found him guilty of libeling a 15-year-old Syrian refugee, resulting in £100,000 damages plus legal costs. In 2021, authorities subjected Robinson to a five-year stalking prevention order for harassing journalist Lizzie Dearden and her partner.
Carlson, somewhat surprisingly, concurred with Morgan’s assessment, stating that Robinson “seems like a fraud”. Nevertheless, this stance appears inconsistent with Carlson’s previous coverage, as historical records indicate he had extensively featured Robinson’s case on Fox News.
Throughout their discussion, both commentators rejected Robinson’s divisive approach, which they portrayed as contradicting their vision of respectful engagement across religious lines.
How the media and public responded to their remarks
The public reaction following Morgan and Carlson’s defense of Muslims revealed mixed sentiments across social media platforms. Many users expressed surprise at Carlson’s apparent shift, pointing out that he “has spent well over a decade using his platform to spew white nationalist talking points and Islamophobic propaganda”. Others acknowledged his perspective that “Christians and Muslims have more in common, Biblically, than do Christians and Jews”.
Simultaneously, evidence shows the ongoing impact of anti-Muslim rhetoric in Western societies. According to a 2024 report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, 1,221 anti-Muslim incidents were reported in 2023, including 237 physical assaults, 307 discrimination cases, and 128 acts of vandalism against Islamic institutions. Consequently, many Muslims have withdrawn from public life, with a Pew Research survey finding 56 percent of U.S. Muslims reported experiencing discrimination due to their religion.
Amid this context, British Conservative Party officials have struggled with similar issues. A poll indicated more than half of Tory members view Islam as “a threat to the British way of life”, while former Tory chair Sayeeda Warsi described anti-Muslim sentiment as “deliberate” and “done over a period of time”.
Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq illustrated this impact, explaining how Muslims were altering their daily routines out of fear, including not visiting mosques or allowing family members to travel alone.