President Donald Trump pushed back Tuesday against claims by Tucker Carlson that he is moving toward a nuclear confrontation with Iran, rejecting the assertion in a phone conversation with The New York Post and sharply criticizing the commentator.

“Tucker’s a low IQ person that has absolutely no idea what’s going on,” the president said. “He calls me all the time; I don’t respond to his calls. I don’t deal with him. I like dealing with smart people, not fools.”

Carlson had alleged in a post Monday night on X that Trump’s earlier Truth Social message—warning that the United States could strike Iran’s power plants and bridges—was “the first step toward nuclear war.”

“Christians need to understand where Trump is taking us,” Carlson wrote.

In the original Sunday post, Trump issued a blunt warning directed at Iran, writing: “open the … Strait, you crazy …. , or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

Carlson condemned the tone of the message, calling it inappropriate for a religious holiday. “vile on every level.”

In his podcast, Carlson further criticized the president, saying: “How dare you speak that way on Easter morning to the country?” Carlson said in his podcast. “Who do you think you are? You’re tweeting out [a profanity] on Easter morning.”

He went on to draw extreme comparisons, suggesting the president’s actions could lead to global catastrophe. “Is it just a conventional escalation ladder in a badly thought out war … [or] could it be something bigger? Is it possible what you’re watching is a very stealthy yet incredibly effective attack on what, from a Christian perspective, is the true faith: …. he said.

Carlson also questioned Trump’s motives in broader terms. “Is it possible that the president sees this in bigger terms? Sees this as the fulfillment of something? An elevation of some higher office beyond president of the United States?”

He pointed to Trump’s inauguration as part of his argument, saying: “… Maybe he didn’t put his hand on the Bible because he affirmatively rejects what’s inside that book, and what’s inside that book are limits on human behavior,” he said. “Because if there’s one theme that spans all 66 books in the Christian Bible, it’s that you are not God and you cannot assume his powers.”

Escalating his claims, Carlson urged administration and military personnel to refuse any potential nuclear order. “Those people who are in direct contact with the President need to say, ‘no, I’ll resign. I’ll do whatever I can do legally to stop this, because this is insane, and if you give the order, I’m not carrying it out. Figure out the codes on the football yourself,’” Carlson said.

The claims gained additional traction online when an account associated with former Vice President Kamala Harris amplified the narrative, asserting that Vice President JD Vance had hinted at the possibility of nuclear action.

The post referenced remarks Vance delivered in Hungary, where he said: “we’ve got tools in our toolkit that we so far haven’t decided to use that the president of the United States can decide to use them — and he will decide to use them if the Iranians don’t change their course of conduct.”

The White House quickly rejected that interpretation, responding on its Rapid Response account: “Literally nothing @VP said here ‘implies’ this, you absolute buffoons.”

Trump has continued to maintain that he is prepared to act militarily if Iran refuses to comply with his demands, particularly regarding reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

In a separate Truth Social post, he warned: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

He added: “However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?”

“We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”

Military analysts note that the United States has multiple options available, ranging from expanded air campaigns targeting Iranian infrastructure to potential operations involving key strategic sites such as Kharg Island, which handles the vast majority of Iran’s crude oil exports.