At a summit focused on the idea of a shift in power, Tucker Carlson wasted no time in stating the obvious.
“India is now a major power. You can’t tell them what to do anymore,” Carlson declared, dismissing decades of ingrained US foreign policy habits in a single sentence.
Speaking to India Today Global at the World Government Summit 2026 in Dubai, the former Fox News host offered a geopolitical assessment that challenged Washington’s assumptions, defended India’s sovereignty, and questioned America’s habit of lecturing emerging powers.
“This is not the India we went to 25 years ago. This is a completely different country. And this is not a country you can dictate to. You negotiate terms,” Carlson said.
Carlson was particularly blunt about Washington’s attempts to influence India’s foreign policy decisions, including its energy purchases from Russia.
“Of course, the United States can’t tell India what oil to buy. Unfortunately, people are slow to accept reality. The emerging powers are no longer emerging. They have arrived,” he said.
He described the US pressure tactics as outdated in a world where India, China, and Russia now operate as independent poles of power rather than junior partners.
The era of Modi and influential leaders
When asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Carlson carefully avoided offering direct suggestions for Indian politics but left no doubt about his admiration.
“Whether you like Modi or not, Modi is consequential. There’s no question about that,” he said.
“We are living in an era of historic leadership. Modi, Putin, Trump, Erdogan, MBS, MBZ. These are real people. Books will be written about them,” Carlson added.
In contrast, he described most of the Western political class as forgettable. He joked, “Most people live in the time of people like Keir Starmer. Nobody will remember his name next week.”
Biden, Russia, and a Foreign Policy Blunder
Carlson criticized former US President Joe Biden, particularly regarding Washington’s confrontation with Moscow.
“Joe Biden started a war with Russia. He wanted a war with Russia,” Carlson said. “It has hurt the United States. It has hurt the dollar. The sanctions haven’t benefited us at all.”
He argued that isolating Russia had backfired, pushing Moscow closer to Asia and weakening American influence.
“They didn’t isolate Russia,” he said. “They pushed Russia toward China, India, the Middle East. That’s been very bad for the United States.”
Trump’s Tariff Diplomacy
On Donald Trump and his aggressive use of tariffs, Carlson took a more cautious approach, describing it as an experiment whose results are still unclear.
“Tariffs hadn’t been used for generations,” he said. “Then Trump declares Liberation Day and uses them as a diplomatic tool. It’s hard to say right now.”
Nevertheless, Carlson framed Trump’s approach as negotiation rather than punishment. “There’s an opening bid and a real bid,” he said. “That’s how deals are made.”
Carlson also discussed his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, assessing leadership based on results rather than ideology.
“How are your people doing?” Carlson asked. “Russia is in a much better position than it was 26 years ago.”
He cited Putin’s ability to hold together a vast, diverse country as his greatest achievement. “That’s the most impressive thing he’s done,” Carlson said. “Our leaders haven’t been able to do that.” Journalism, Power, and Telling the Truth
Beyond geopolitics, Carlson spoke at length about journalism itself, arguing that traditional media outlets are still tied to the post-World War II power structure that is now collapsing.
“Journalism was the propaganda arm of the post-war order,” he said. “That system is changing in real time.”
He framed independent media not as rebellion, but as a response to institutional failure. “You can’t use the old structures anymore,” Carlson said. “They’re too invested in the old system, and they lie.”
Carlson’s central argument in Dubai was simple and unsettling for Western capitals: power has shifted, and pretending otherwise will only accelerate the decline.
“India has grown up,” he offered as an example. “Like children. One day you realize you can’t tell them what to do anymore.”
In today’s geopolitics, Carlson suggested, the era of instructions is over. The era of conversation has begun.