There were plenty of reasons for the U.S. to want Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro out of power, but as far as Tucker Carlson is concerned, the socialist strongman may have crossed the line with his opposition to gay marriage.
In October, Mr. Carlson warned in a newly resurfaced podcast video that the U.S. was poised to undertake “regime change” in Venezuela, a scenario that he blamed on what he called “globo-homo.”
“We’re not going to go kill Nicolas Maduro because we don’t like the way he’s treating his people. It’s possible we’re mad that he doesn’t allow gay marriage,” said Mr. Carlson. “That is a distinct possibility, but no one will say that out loud.”
Mr. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured Jan. 3 in a Delta Force raid in Caracas and flown to New York City, where they face drug-trafficking and narco-terrorism charges stemming from a 2020 State Department indictment.
The White House made no mention of Mr. Maduro’s stance on LGBTQ issues, but Mr. Carlson laid out the case on his pre-raid Oct. 29 show.
“In Venezuela, gay marriage is banned. Abortion is banned. Sex changes for transgenderism are banned,” said Mr. Carlson. “It’s one of the very few countries in the entire hemisphere with those policies. It is on social policy — I’m not defending the regime, just saying — one of the most conservative countries in north or south or central America.”
He noted that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has repeatedly praised President Trump, supports same-sex marriage.
“So those of you who thought this whole project was globo-homo: not crazy, actually,” Mr. Carlson said.
His theory drew hoots on social media from commentators, primarily those on the right, after the clip was reposted Sunday by filmmaker Nathan Livingston of MilkBarTV.
“The oldest living Groyper says it’s a ‘distinct possibility’ that Trump captured Maduro because of Maduro’s opposition to gay marriage. Wow!” conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza posted on X.
Author David Limbaugh, brother of the late conservative radio legend Rush Limbaugh, opined: “Imagine being this crazy after masquerading as sane for several years.”
“From the Jews to the Gays. This is your must-see kookiness of the day,” conservative radio host Erick Erickson said in his daily email blast. “Tucker Carlson, having moved on from blaming the Jews, now believes Trump captured Maduro so Venezuela could get gay marriage.”
Fitness guru Jillian Michaels posted on X: “Ok … @TuckerCarlson what is happening to you.”
Said Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon: “This is getting ridiculous.”
Jason Bedrick, research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, added: “I love how he says ‘no one will say that out loud’ as though he’s some uniquely brave truth teller, when the reality is that no one else is saying that because it’s uniquely stupid.”
Tucker Carlson believes it’s a “distinct possibility” that the U.S. captured Maduro to *checks notes* “bring gay marriage to Venezuela.”
— Nathan Livingstone (MilkBarTV) (@TheMilkBarTV) January 5, 2026
Yes, he’s serious. pic.twitter.com/TmrrwWYgTH
Mr. Bedrick’s criticism was particularly significant, given the recent dust-up at The Heritage Foundation over Mr. Carlson.
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts landed in hot water after defending Mr. Carlson’s friendly Oct. 27 interview with pro-Hitler podcaster Nick Fuentes, prompting a rash of departures, including a dozen staff and scholars who decamped last month for Advancing American Freedom.
Mr. Carlson has been accused of promoting conspiracy theories and being obsessed with disparaging Israel, but he remains a force to be reckoned with on the right. His Tucker Carlson Network show regularly ranks among the top 10 podcasts, and he’s been described as a friend of Vice President J.D. Vance.
The former Fox News Channel host has also emerged as a staunch opponent of military intervention abroad, but he gave the Trump administration credit for installing Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim president.
“I’m grateful for the wisdom of not taking out the entire government,” Mr. Carlson said on his Monday podcast. “Not because I support the government, but because, you know, we have clear models in Iraq, in Libya and Syria. It can be very hard to put those things back together again, and the fact that they appear to be backing Delcy Rodriguez, not because they love her, but because they favor stability over chaos.”
He added: “That seems like a much wiser approach. That makes me calm down a little bit.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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