'We'll all die anyway': Trump seethed at ex-GOP ally in secret Iran war confrontation

President Donald Trump seethed at concerns about the Iran war in a secret meeting revealed by Tucker Carlson, telling the former MAGA ally that "we'll all die anyway."

Carlson described the private Oval Office meeting in an interview on NPR's Newsmakers podcast released Thursday. Carlson once spoke on Trump's behalf at the 2024 Republican National Convention, but he now says the president should be removed from office.

Carlson said the meeting came days before the U.S. and Israel began the war by striking Iran on Feb. 28.

"Would a simpler explanation be the president has no idea about foreign affairs, doesn't listen to people and made a mistake?" NPR host Steve Inskeep asked, challenging Carlson's theory that Trump was pushed into the war.

Carlson rejected that explanation, saying he spoke with Trump at least 10 times in February and that the two discussed at length how the war could quickly shut down the Middle East's oil and gas.

"And so the idea that Trump didn't know the risks — and once again, I'm in an unusual position because I talked to Trump," Carlson said.

Inskeep then pointed out that Carlson had previously quoted Trump as waving off the risks by saying everything would be fine.

"I'll tell you exactly what he said. I haven't said this, but I'm just gonna tell you," Carlson replied.

Carlson said he and Trump were alone for the meeting, which took place two days after he flew back from Israel, where he had interviewed U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

Huckabee had said in that interview that it "would be fine" if Israel "took it all" when asked about a biblical promise of land covering much of the Middle East, according to the Associated Press. He added that Israel was not seeking to expand, but Arab nations condemned the remark.

Carlson said Trump was annoyed with him for giving Huckabee "a hard time," and that he told the president the ambassador's comments amounted to "a diplomatic incident."

"But then I said, this war is not about Iran's nuclear program, which you told me and the world that you eliminated back in last summer in June. This war is being pushed by Israel with three aims," Carlson continued.

Carlson said he told Trump that Israel wanted to dominate its region, weaken six rival Gulf states and push U.S. military bases out of the Middle East.

"I said this to Trump, to his face, in the Oval Office days before the war began. And he looked at me and said, 'Yes, you're right. But in the end, we all die anyway, so it doesn't matter.' That's exactly what he said," Carlson explained to Inskeep.

"And I said to him, shocked, but what about our kids and our grandkids and, like, our country? And he goes, 'Ugh,'" Carlson recalled, adding that Trump did not respond further.

"And I was shocked by that because it's nihilism, and that's the last thing any leader should display or any person should display. It does matter. Who lives or dies does matter," Carlson said.

Carlson has criticized the war since it began, and in April he seemed to suggest on his show that Trump might be the antichrist, CNN reported.

Days later, on April 9, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Carlson and other critics were "stupid people" who want Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

When NPR asked for comment, the White House did not address the "die anyway" remark directly and instead sent that post, according to the network.

"Perhaps he should see a good psychiatrist!" Trump wrote of Carlson in the post.