NASHVILLE (VINnews) — Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro on Wednesday sharply rebuked Tucker Carlson, accusing the former Fox News host of falsely claiming that Shapiro wants to kill Christians because of the Noahide laws and labeling the allegation “psychotic.”

In a post on X that included video clips, Shapiro wrote that Carlson “is apparently out there saying I want to kill Christians because of the Noahide laws or something. This is psychotic.” He continued that he would “expect nothing less from an addled nicotine salesman who spends all of his time rallying for Islamists like Abdul El-Sayed and Zohran Mamdani while making excuses for Hitler,” adding, “Tucker wants conservatives to lose. It’s that simple.”

The exchange stems from comments Shapiro made Oct. 7 at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Iowa. Responding to a student in a “Jesus is King” shirt who asked about faith, Shapiro explained the traditional Jewish view that non-Jews need not convert to Judaism to have a share in the world to come. Instead, he said, they are expected to observe seven basic moral principles known as the Noahide laws: prohibitions against idolatry, blasphemy, murder, sexual immorality, theft and eating flesh from a living animal, along with the establishment of courts of justice.

Shapiro has said the full exchange included praise for the student’s Christian belief. In a subsequent post, he quoted his own remarks: “I think you’re doing a great job by believing in Jesus. I think that’s great. I think you should continue to go to church, I think you should continue to speak out about your faith, I think that Christianity in America needs a resurgence, and that’s the greatest factor that will lead to a revitalized America.”

Short clips of the event circulated widely online, with some accounts framing Shapiro’s mention of the Noahide laws as an attempt to impose Jewish religious rules on Christians. Certain critics have cited historical rabbinic discussions of penalties for violations of the laws — including capital punishment in certain contexts under ancient or theoretical Jewish jurisprudence — to allege that Shapiro endorsed harm to Christians. Shapiro and others have described these interpretations as distortions and antisemitic conspiracy theories.

The Noahide laws, referenced in the Talmud, are understood in traditional Judaism as the fundamental ethical obligations applicable to all people, not as a program for enforcing Jewish religious practice on non-Jews today. They have long been a staple of antisemitic literature that claims a secret Jewish plot to subjugate non-Jews under severe penalties.

Carlson’s specific remarks prompting Shapiro’s response appear tied to recent media appearances, including discussion on the Jimmy Dore show. The dispute reflects broader friction on the right between Shapiro, co-founder of The Daily Wire and a frequent defender of traditional Jewish and pro-Israel positions, and Carlson, who has drawn criticism from some Jewish and conservative voices over his commentary on Israel, Jewish influence and related topics.