The Lie

• The threat of radical Islam is Israeli government propaganda because few Americans are killed by Islamists.

The Truth

• In recent years, many Americans have been murdered by Islamic terrorists. But the threat of radical Islam goes beyond terrorism. It also presents a cultural, legal, and political danger, rooted in a totalitarian ideology that seeks to gain power and control.

Background

• On December 26, 2025, Tucker Carlson told The American Conservative that claims describing radical Islam as the greatest threat to America are an Israeli government “op.” (X)
• Carlson argued that he does not “know anyone in the United States in the last 24 years who’s been killed by radical Islam.”
• His remarks responded to a Turning Point USA poll conducted at AmericaFest in December 2025, which found that most conservatives view radical Islam as the top threat facing the United States. (X)
• Similar claims were echoed by other anti-Israel commentators. Candace Owens stated the following day that the threat of radical Islam is propaganda and that the real danger is “the Israeli occupation of DC.” (X)

Truth Explained:

• Since 9/11, more than 162 Americans have been murdered on U.S. soil in attacks motivated by Islamist ideology. In 2025 alone, at least 17 Americans were killed—victims of a firebombing in Colorado, a shooting in Washington, D.C., and a vehicle-ramming attack in New Orleans that killed 14. (UNC Chapel Hill), (DOJ), (Homeland Security)
• The danger posed by Islamism is not limited to terrorism. On December 20, 2025, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told AmericaFest attendees that Islamist ideology represents the greatest threat to America because it is a political ideology seeking to establish a global caliphate governed by sharia law and Islamic principles. (DNI)
• Sharia law is an authoritarian legal system derived from the Quran. It prescribes punishments that conflict with Western values, including the death penalty for rejecting Islam and corporal punishment for alcohol consumption. (DOJ)
• Sharia law requires non-Muslims to pay a special tax (jizya) as a condition for being allowed to practice their religion. (Quran)
• The Quran contains repeated calls for fighting non-Muslims and for enforcing Islamic law within society. (Quran)
• Modern Islamism believes that societal problems can only be solved by replacing existing states with governance rooted entirely in sharia law. (Counter Extremism)
• The Muslim Brotherhood, one of the largest transnational Islamic movements, openly says jihad is an obligation against unbelievers and seeks to embed Islamic law into national constitutions. (US House of Representatives)
• Hizb ut-Tahrir, another global Islamist organization, has explicitly declared its goal of re-establishing a universal Islamic caliphate governed by Sharia law. (Counter Extremism)
• Even the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which presents itself as a moderate civil rights group, issued a call to action to use American legal and political systems to implement Sharia law. (DNI)
• CAIR has also outlined plans to expand Islamic political influence in Washington, DC, including placing dozens of Islamic lawmakers in Congress and positioning tens of thousands of Muslims in strategic industries. (MEMRI) 
• In Michigan, Islamist activist Abdul El-Sayed—now running for U.S. Senate—has pledged to pursue censorship policies under the guise of combating “Islamophobia.” (X)

Quotes:

• “When we talk about the threat of Islamism, this political ideology, there is no such thing as individual freedom or liberty. As Charlie [Kirk] said over and over again, it is fundamentally incompatible with our nation’s foundation of freedom.” — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard
• “Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day … until they pay the tax, willingly submitting, fully humbled.” — Quran 9:29

Takeaway:

Radical Islam is a real and documented threat to the United States, not just in terms of terrorism but as a political ideology seeking to impose sharia law and expand its influence. Denying or minimizing the ideological ambitions of Islamism in order to score points against Israel is intellectual malpractice that leaves Americans unprepared for a threat that openly declares its goals.