Rod Dreher, a practicing Orthodox Christian and author, has detailed his interactions with Tucker Carlson regarding an alleged demonic attack and the subsequent trajectory of Carlson's online content.
According to Dreher, Carlson reached out to him in April 2023, then a prominent cable news host, to discuss a purported demonic attack. Dreher, who has written about exorcism, facilitated an introduction between Carlson and an Orthodox priest who is also a trained exorcist. This priest, in turn, brought in a Catholic exorcist to counsel Carlson. Dreher stated that he was not privy to all the details of these sessions, but reported that they did not prove highly effective, with Carlson eventually texting his thanks while describing the priests' work as "witchcraft" and expressing a preference for reading the Bible alone. A Catholic exorcist involved in the team reportedly told Dreher that Carlson was in "grave danger" and unaware of the power of the situation.
Dreher recounted his own experiences with the occult, including witnessing an exorcism and having a Vatican exorcist friend interpret a collapsing chair in his hotel room as a sign of "the Enemy" watching him.
Shortly after these interactions, Carlson parted ways with Fox News in the spring of 2023 and launched his own online podcast network in December of that year. Dreher noted that Carlson's subsequent interviews began to feature darker and edgier themes. As an example, Dreher cited an interview in September 2024 with Darryl Cooper, who questioned Winston Churchill's role in World War II and characterized the Holocaust as an "accident of poor Nazi war planning." Dreher also pointed to Carlson hosting "ever more openly anti-Jewish figures" on his platform.
Troubled by this direction, Dreher stated he decided he would have to speak out if Carlson hosted Nick Fuentes, a livestreamer known for Holocaust denial and anti-Semitic views. This occurred in late October 2025, when Carlson interviewed Fuentes on his program. In response, Dreher published an essay on his Substack, criticizing Carlson for amplifying Fuentes and warning that the rise of anti-Semitism signals a nation preparing for totalitarianism. Dreher reported that Carlson responded with an angry text, ending their friendship. Dreher observed that Carlson's "descent into anti-Semitism" and the broader embrace of Jew-hatred among younger Americans have since intensified.
Dreher also mentioned seeing a clip of Carlson discussing "spooky shit in the woods" behind his Maine house, where Carlson spoke of feeling the presence of evil spirits and referenced local legends of the area being haunted and "spiritually dangerous." Dreher drew a parallel between Carlson's narrative and the 2015 film "The Witch," suggesting Carlson's experiences might mirror the film's depiction of a prideful man destroyed by a demonic force. While Dreher expressed doubt about Carlson being truly possessed, stating that exorcists consider it rare, he concluded that Carlson might be "oppressed by demons, who are using him to spread hatred of Jews." He believes Carlson's proud refusal to accept further help from trained priests has contributed to his current trajectory. Representatives for Tucker Carlson did not respond to requests for comment from the Daily Mail.