Tucker Carlson has publicly broken with former President Donald Trump over the recent conflict with Iran, a move that has fueled speculation about a potential 2028 presidential bid for the former Fox News host. However, individuals familiar with Carlson dismiss these rumors, suggesting a presidential run is highly unlikely.
Sources close to Carlson attribute the increased speculation to media coverage, reminiscent of similar chatter during the 2024 election cycle. "I think journalists are all suffering from traumatic brain injuries as they forget the wave of ‘Tucker 2024’ stories,” one associate stated. “He wasn’t running then and he’s not running now.”
Carlson, 57, has been vocal in his criticism of the Trump administration's approach to the Iran conflict, which began in late February. He views the war as a betrayal of Trump's pledge to avoid destabilizing Middle East wars. In a podcast interview with Hunter Biden on Monday, Carlson described Trump as "flamboyantly corrupt" and revealed his efforts to prevent the Iran war.
"My goal, literally from that moment up until February 28, was I don’t want to go with Iran,” Carlson said, referring to the period following the Mar-a-Lago raid. “I overstated my own influence like dramatically in a very embarrassing way, and my own importance... I was mad at Trump, but I was also really mad at myself.”
Carlson supported Trump's 2024 comeback campaign, citing the political prosecutions Trump faced, particularly regarding classified documents, and the 2022 raid on his Mar-a-Lago compound as evidence of Trump being a genuine opponent of the "Uniparty."
The renewed focus on Carlson's political future gained traction after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted a photo on X with Carlson and other former Trump supporters, including Rep. Thomas Massie and Joe Kent. Greene stated, "We said no more foreign wars and we meant it and supported Donald Trump because he made that promise... He betrayed us all. Our commitment is America First for all Americans, right, left, and center. The movement has begun."
Despite the vocal dissent and Carlson's alignment with anti-war conservatives, Republican operatives largely dismiss the possibility of a third-party presidential run. "There’s a 99.999% chance that he doesn’t run,” one operative told The New York Post. "But he is on the war path to damage the GOP over Iran and a third party run from him would make it impossible for any Republican to win in 2028."
Another operative suggested that while Carlson is not actively planning a run, the situation could change depending on future events. "He’d be happy with a kamikaze mission, I think,” the operative added, hinting at Carlson's willingness to disrupt the political landscape.