WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and one of his party’s most outspoken hawks, and Tucker Carlson, a right-wing media personality and a vocal isolationist, were unlikely to see eye to eye when it came to whether and how deeply the United States should involve itself in Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran.

So it came as little surprise when Carlson turned an interview with Cruz into a chance to challenge him on the topic, berating the senator for his bellicose rhetoric and suggesting he was ignorant about Iran.

The confrontation reflected a bitter rift in President Donald Trump’s coalition, between hawkish Republicans like Cruz who back aggressive action against Iran and an “America First” coalition including Carlson that is warning against further entangling the United States in the Middle East.

“You’re a senator who’s calling for an overthrow of the government and you don’t know anything about the country!” Carlson told Cruz during a heated exchange on his program that he posted on social media Tuesday night. Carlson has warned against American military involvement in the Middle East, and in a full version of the interview with Cruz he posted Wednesday, he said it was “one of the weirdest conversations I’ve ever had.”

“I agree with Tucker on 80% of the issues,” Cruz said on own podcast Wednesday as he reflected on the testy interview. He added, “On foreign policy, Tucker has gone bat-crap crazy. He’s gone off the rails.”

The confrontation began with Carlson quizzing Cruz about his understanding of Iran’s demographics, starting with whether he knew the population — even a ballpark figure. Cruz confessed he did not.

After they argued whether it was a relevant statistic, Carlson asked Cruz if he knew the ethnic makeup of the country. Cruz said it was mainly Persian and predominantly Shiite Muslims, then blew up when Carlson asked what percentage.

“OK, this is cute,” Cruz said as Carlson continued pressing him. “OK, I am not the Tucker Carlson expert on Iran.”

During his interview with Carlson, Cruz echoed that language, saying, “We are carrying out military strikes today.”

Carlson seized on the pronoun. “You said Israel was,” he interjected.

“Right, with our help,” Cruz retorted. “I said ‘we’ — Israel is leading them, but we’re supporting them.”

“Well you’re breaking news here,” Carlson said, noting that the White House had previously denied that the United States was acting on Israel’s behalf.