One criticism of alternative media is that podcasters, social media personalities, and influencers who describe themselves as independent-minded often fail to ask tough questions of their guests or push back when greater scrutiny is warranted.
Joe Rogan is frequently cited as an example of this: He platforms provocative guests like Daryl Cooper and Ian Carroll, and because the format is friendly and informal, he fails to press them when they make dubious or even outrageous claims. That was the thrust of the criticism by British journalist Douglass Murray, who used his own appearance on Rogan as an opportunity to attack the host's failure to properly interrogate people Murray considers to be conspiracy theorists.
In contrast, mainstream media is characterized by hostile interviews. For examples, see every single instance of CNN, CBS, or ABC interviewing a Republican political figure — though to be fair, interviews with Democrats are often contentious as well. Politicians don't really want to be asked tough questions, but journalism is supposed to be adversarial, and the public is best served by interview formats that provoke discomfort. If the traditional mainstream format is entirely replaced by podcasts where people get to say whatever they want and face no pushback whatsoever, it would obviously be worse for the country, and politicians would absolutely prefer it.
Yet the current debate over whether the U.S. military should become more involved in Israel's war against Iran is a powerful counterexample. It showcases the unique ability of the podcast universe to cut through the mainstream media's reflexive deference to hawkish national security experts and get to the root of fundamental questions: Do the American people really want another regime-change war in the Middle East?
This dynamic was well illustrated by Tucker Carlson's recent interview with Sen. Ted Cruz (R–Texas) on X. The pair of conservative giants engaged in a two-hour exchange on the subject of Iran. It was feisty and intermittently unpleasant — for them at least. It was madly entertaining for viewers.
The interview gave Carlson ample opportunity to expose the hollowness of Cruz's position, which seemed to be that regime-change in Iran would somehow work out better than regime-change in Iraq, Libya, or Syria. We played some of that interview yesterday, and subsequently I watched the whole thing. It’s really, really good, I can’t recommend it enough. Here’s another exchange:
Senator Ted Cruz demands regime change in Iran. He’s not interested in the details.(0:00) Why Does Cruz Want Regime Change in Iran?(6:28) Is the US Currently Acting in Its Own Best Interest?(7:49) Was Regime Change in Syria Beneficial to the US?(12:31) Was the Iraq War a… pic.twitter.com/iIdENogQ2T
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 18, 2025That brief exchange really doesn’t do it justice. What happened was that Cruz accused Carlson and other critics of the war effort of being "obsessed" with Israel, and even insinuated this was due to some vague anti-Semitic undercurrent. This accusation was remarkable because just moments earlier, Cruz had admitted his own reason for running for office was to be the most pro-Israel U.S. senator in history. Moments later, he confessed that his unwavering support for Israel was due to a Biblical passage that emphasizes those who side with Israel will be "blessed." In response, Carlson sardonically mused on whether the Bible's authors had a specific Israeli government in mind.
It is not anti-Jewish or anti-Israel for the U.S. to think very carefully about whether supporting and aiding military strikes against Iran is in the best interests of Americans. Israel uses American weapons to launch its attacks, and it relies on American technology to protect its own citizens from Iranian counterattack. Israel has the right to defend itself against attacks from hostile foreign powers and terrorists, but it does not have the right to single-mindedly drag the U.S. into yet another boondoggle in the Middle East, particularly without Congressional authorization.
I just introduced an Iran War Powers Resolution with @RepRoKhanna to prohibit U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran war.This is not our war. Even if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution. pic.twitter.com/LuIl59lt45
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 17, 2025Carlson, a Fox News host turned independent media giant, is hardly alone among podcasters in evincing skepticism about doing Israel's bidding in the Middle East. Rogan is perturbed. Theo Von has expressed horror over Israel's campaign in Gaza. Dave Smith says he regrets voting for Trump and even thinks he should be impeached for breaking his promise not to start new wars. And those are just the plausibly right-adjacent podcasters. Left-leaning ones, such as Cenk Uygur, Mehdi Hasan, and Glenn Greenwald are also speaking up.
Now consider the mainstream media. Admittedly, I have not watched every single second of commentary on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, or Fox News this past week, nor have I read every column in The New York Times and The Washington Post, and thus if the following impression is false, I stand ready to apologize. But it certainly does not appear to be the case that legacy media commentary is intensely critical of what's about to take place in the Middle East. This is not particularly surprising — in the run up to the Iraq War, mainstream media institutions were supportive on balance and frequently provided important justifications for the Bush administration. The New York Times was a particularly egregious offender.
So here’s my bottom line: Disdain independent media all you want. But with the U.S. government once again gearing up to do something really reckless, that I believe a silent majority of Americans oppose, I’m glad that at least this time around, there is a healthy ecosystem of independent thinkers on the right and left who stand ready to argue against the mainstream bipartisan foreign policy consensus.
Robby Soave is co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising” and a senior editor for Reason Magazine. This column is an edited transcription of his daily commentary.
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