Tucker Carlson, appearing alongside Megyn Kelly at a SiriusXM live event at the Westchester County Center, in White Plains, New York, dismissed criticism of his recent interview with right-wing commentator Nick Fuentes, telling detractors to "buzz off" as he defended his right to host provocative guests. He slammed Jewish neoconservatives like commentator Ben Shapiro and Florida Congressman Randy Fine, accusing them of being "shills" for Israel, arguing their criticism was unpatriotic.

Carlson, who has been a central figure in a recent conservative media firestorm, defended his decision to interview Fuentes, saying he views Fuentes as the most influential commentator among young men, with millions of supporters.

The popular journalist dismissed criticism from figures like Congressman Fine, who labeled him "the most dangerous antisemite in America," and Shapiro, whom he accused of "shilling for Israel" and being too extreme for his "tiny brain" to process.

“Nick Fuentes has said a long list of very vile things,” Kelly said, mentioning the interview that has sparked a civil war within MAGA.

“Big time, including attacking my dad, which was the most vile of all, in my opinion,”  Carlson added.

“Yeah. I mean, I personally have watched videos of him questioning the Holocaust, likening it to baking cookies in the oven. ‘And there’s no way you could have gotten to six million’ seems to be his theory. He seems to think that we’ve way overstated the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust. He’s ripped on poor Usha Vance in the most offensive terms. I mean, so what do you say to those people who say, ‘Why didn’t you raise any of that?’” Kelly asked.

“You know, do your own interview the way that you want to do it. You’re not my editor. Buzz off. I mean, I don’t know. You want to go yell at Nick Fuentes? I’ll give you his cell. Call him and go sit and yell at him and feel virtuous or whatever,” Carlson replied, adding:

"That’s up to you. I got the same thing with Putin. 'Why aren’t you yelling at him?' Okay, why? So I can show that I’m a good person? I care about what my wife thinks, my children think, and God thinks. And that’s it. I don’t need to prove that I am a good person to you! You may think I’m a terrible person. Okay, I’m just doing my thing, which is I want to understand what people think. And I’m committed to that. And if you don’t like it, don’t watch. That’s my view."

The event, part of Kelly's nationwide live podcast tour, highlighted the duo's shift to independent media after leaving Fox News, with Kelly emphasizing their newfound freedom from corporate constraints.

Kelly, who has also faced criticism for past controversies, including her 2018 defense of blackface, used the platform to draw parallels between her own past backlash and Carlson’s current situation, stating, "I was a racist in literally every newspaper in the country."

The controversy surrounding Carlson’s interview with Fuentes continues to ripple through conservative circles, with prominent pro-Israel figures facing backlash for their effort to 'cancel' Carlson and by extension, his friend Vice President JD Vance who are beloved on the American right.

Rocket Lab successfully launched its 74th Electron mission, "The Nation God Navigates," on Wednesday, deploying the iQPS QPS-SAR-14 satellite, nicknamed YACHIHOKO-I, into a 575 kilometer circular orbit from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The rocket lifted off at 1951 UTC, with Electron's kick stage deploying the satellite about 50 minutes after liftoff, marking Rocket Lab’s sixth dedicated mission for iQPS and solidifying its role as the primary launch provider for the Japanese company’s growing Earth-imaging constellation.

The QPS-SAR-14 satellite, nicknamed YACHIHOKO-I after the Japanese god of nation-building and navigation, is the 13th satellite from iQPS to reach orbit, despite its designation as the 14th in the series.

iQPS aims to build a constellation of 36 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites to provide near-real-time Earth imagery, with the goal of capturing images of Earth’s surface every 10 minutes.

"This satellite will join the rest of the QPS-SAR constellation in providing high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images and Earth monitoring services globally," Rocket Lab wrote in a mission description. "iQPS aims to build a constellation of 36 SAR satellites that will provide near-real-time images of Earth every 10 minutes."

Wednesday's launch was part of a multi-launch agreement between Rocket Lab and iQPS, with six additional dedicated missions planned to further expand the constellation.

"The Nation God Navigates" mission was the 16th Electron launch of 2025, matching the company’s record high for annual launches set in 2024. The Electron rocket, a two-stage launch vehicle powered by liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene, has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually since its first orbital flight in January 2018.

Rocket Lab’s success with this mission reinforces its position as a leading provider of launch services for small satellite constellations, with plans to debut its larger Neutron rocket in the near future. The company also operates a suborbital version of the vehicle known as HASTE ("Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron"), which has flown five times since debuting in June 2023.

Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, faced intense internal criticism during a two-hour all-hands meeting on Wednesday, after defending Tucker Carlson’s interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes, and branded those calling to 'cancel' Carlson, a "venomous coalition."

In what critics branded a "Jewish supremacist Israel First struggle session," Jewish staff members, activists and senior fellows like PragerU founder Dennis Prager, Amy Swearer, and Robert Rector, challenged Roberts’ leadership, demanded a clear public repudiation of Carlson, and expressed deep concern over the damage to the foundation’s credibility and relationships with Jewish partners and donors.

Roberts apologized for his "venomous coalition" comment, admitting he made a mistake and felt a moral obligation to stay and repair the damage, but refused to resign. He claimed the remark is "antisemitic" and a "terrible choice of words, especially for our Jewish colleagues and friends." He also revealed that Pro-Israel Jewish activist Yoram Hazony is "flying down" to Heritage Foundation, to "help" him "be better."

In an angry rant, Swearer, a senior legal fellow with eight years at Heritage, claimed that Roberts showed a "stunning lack of both courage and judgment" and that his defense was a "masterclass in cowardice."

Daniel Flesch, a Jewish staffer overseeing Project Esther, said the foundation had been unable to publicly condemn Carlson for six days, causing a loss of trust and reputation.

Rector, a 47-year veteran of Heritage, invoked William F. Buckley Jr., urging the expulsion of antisemites and "lunatics" from the conservative movement, angrily warning that Roberts’ stance was reversing the foundation’s historical principles.

Hans von Spakovsky, another senior figure, claimed that the foundation’s credibility could not be salvaged without a public break from Carlson.

The meeting revealed deep ideological and generational divides, including criticism from younger staff who questioned the foundation’s promotion of "Christian Zionism" and its prioritization of Israel; and Evan Myers who raised concerns about an invite to a Shabbat diner.

Myers, an adviser to Kevin Roberts’s office at the Heritage Foundation, expressed concern during the confidential all-staff meeting about the recommendation for interns and junior staff to attend Shabbat dinners as part of the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism. Attendance to the dinner was apparently demanded by Jewish supremacist and pro-Israel activist Bethany Madel.

He noted that for many Christians, Friday is a special day of prayer and abstinence to commemorate the death of Christ, and while he assumed attendance was not mandatory, he feared the dinners could serve as an informal litmus test.

Victoria Coates, a vice president at Heritage and co-chair of the task force, called Myers' question a "gross mischaracterization" and emphasized that the invitation was made in "generosity of spirit" and with the goal of fostering increased dialogue on antisemitism. She expressed that she was "deeply sorry" that Myers perceived the invitation as a personal attack, clarifying that it was not intended as such.

Roberts acknowledged the video defending Carlson was the result of a "short circuited" process and that he should have personally verified its content, though he maintained his stance on free speech and avoiding "cancel culture."

Some Jewish leaders and groups have since severed ties with Heritage Foundation. The Israel Innovation Fund announced it would withdraw from the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism due to Roberts’ continued defense of Carlson.

However conservative critics slammed Roberts online, for caving to Jewish supremacists who are more concerned about the interests of Israel than U.S. interests.