Why do so many Americans support Israel? In his recent interview with “Groyper” Nick Fuentes, Tucker Carlson was the latest to ask a question that has vexed politicians, journalists, and scholars. “They’re not Jewish; most of them are self-described Christians,” he marveled. “They’re Christian Zionists. Like, what is that?”
This was not the first time Carlson has discussed what he called the “brain virus” of Christian Zionism. In June, Carlson grilled Senator Ted Cruz about the theological sources of his foreign policy positions. When Cruz paraphrased Genesis 12, Carlson was incredulous that God’s promise to bless those who bless Abraham, his descendants, and their land could refer to the modern state of Israel. Last year, Carlson hosted the country singer John Rich. They did not discuss Israel specifically, but Rich echoed a conspiracy theory that evangelist C.I. Scofield’s success was orchestrated by rich Jews in order to promote Zionism among Christians.
Carlson is increasing their prominence on the right, but such ideas have been popular on the left for decades. Beginning in the 1980s, a whole genre of books and articles contended that American Christians’ enthusiasm for Israel was based on an “end-times” scenario derived from the Victorian theologian John Nelson Darby, and mainstreamed by Scofield in the early 20th century.
