Popular far-right commentator Tucker Carlson recently left his job at Fox News and has been trying to rebrand himself as a full-time Twitter personality. On Tuesday evening, a journalist texted Carlson to ask if he was planning to run for president. To the shock of many, Carlson replied that he was indeed announcing his run in New Hampshire on Friday.
However, Carlson quickly admitted that he was just joking and that he can never control himself. He wrote, “I’m fundamentally a dick. My apologies.” This kind of behavior has become typical of Carlson, who has faced allegations of misogyny and bullying and was fired by Fox News earlier this month.
Despite this, speculation about Carlson’s possible presidential run has followed him for years. A poll conducted after his ouster found that 59% of likely US voters had a favorable view of Carlson, higher than Fox News’ favorability rating. Carlson has also been wielding power from behind the scenes in ways that further blur the line between his roles as commentator and political heavyweight. Text messages show that he helped negotiate the standoff between Republican moderates and the far-right holdouts that eventually elevated Rep. Kevin McCarthy to House speaker on the 15th vote.
It remains unclear why Carlson chose to engage directly with the news media hours after lambasting them in a Twitter monologue for “misleading” the public. Despite being one of his favorite punching bags, the media Carlson has belonged to for decades remains one of his best sources.
When asked if he had ruled out a 2024 run for the White House, Carlson did not reply. With his vast following and influence on the far-right, Carlson’s possible presidential run is something to keep an eye on in the coming years.
