Carlson’s interview with Fuentes, who has espoused openly antisemitic, misogynist and white supremacist views, prompted an uproar among conservatives and mass resignations from The Heritage Foundation, where Carlson started his career.

Carlson later apologized for his statement, saying it was “something that I really regret saying that I didn’t fully mean” that was made in the context of his opposition to the neoconservative, interventionist foreign policy he once supported, but which he realized was mistaken amid the consequences of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“I think it’s unfortunate that I am the person he says he hates most on Earth,” Cruz told CBN. “Now, why does he hate me? He hates me, number one, because I’m a Christian, and that is my faith, and I’m not going to run away from it or apologize for it, but he hates me, number two, because I’m a Zionist.”

Cruz went on to define Zionism as someone who believes “the nation of Israel should exist,” and then accused Carlson of wanting to see Israel abolished.

“The people who denounce Zionists want to see Israel driven into the sea,” Cruz said. “There are 50 Muslim nations in the world. There’s one Jewish nation. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for the Jews to have one homeland when there were 50 Muslim nations.”

“I don’t think it’s unreasonable for the Muslims to have homelands as well, but the Tuckers of the world argue, instead of 50 Muslim nations, there should be 51 and they should remove the Jews from Israel, because they have no right to have a nation,” he added.

Carlson, who has never said he doesn’t want Israel to exist but has questioned Israeli influence over U.S. foreign policy, has called Cruz a “dumbo” and drawn the lingering ire of the Texas senator since tussling with him last summer over whether the land promises of Genesis apply to the modern nation-state.

During his tense interview with Carlson last June, Cruz based his support for modern Israel on God’s promise to Abram in Genesis 12, though he drew pushback from Carlson when he was unable to cite where in the Bible the passage was or what the population of Iran is, despite his support for going to war there.

In response to a similarly contentious interview Carlson had with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee last month, Cruz gloated on social media when Carlson was unsure of the Christian population of Qatar when Huckabee asked him about it.

“What?!? Tucker doesn’t know the Christian population in Qatar??? How can he possibly have an opinion about them?” Cruz wrote on X, where he posts prolifically about Carlson.

Carlson, who said he personally appealed to President Donald Trump against intervening in Iran, has since called the Iran war “disgusting and evil,” which prompted rebuke from Trump last week, who claimed “Tucker has lost his way” and is “not MAGA,” according to ABC News.