Tucker Carlson: Will He Run for President in 2028?

Tucker Carlson has made it clear that he has no intention of running for president in the 2028 election. The conservative media personality, who has been a prominent voice in the MAGA movement, has recently stirred controversy with his views on the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

In a recent interview with The Economist, Carlson dismissed the idea of running for president, stating that he would “of course not” make a bid. He also expressed doubt about the value of his endorsement for any candidate in the 2028 election, citing the accusations that he has been labeled a “bigot,” which he denies.

The tension between Carlson and the MAGA movement escalated when the U.S., alongside Israel, launched strikes against Iran nearly three weeks ago. These actions were described by U.S. Central Command leader Admiral Brad Cooper as an effort to “eliminate Iran’s ability to threaten Americans.” In response, Carlson called the war “absolutely disgusting and evil” in a statement to ABC News’ Jonathan Karl.

This stance led to criticism from Donald Trump, who told Karl that Carlson had “lost his way” and accused him of not being “MAGA,” referring to the “Make America Great Again” movement. Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who resigned from the House of Representatives after a public falling out with Trump over several issues, including foreign affairs, defended Carlson when he was attacked by Trump.

Greene claimed that Trump no longer understands what MAGA stands for, suggesting he has turned it into “MIGA.” She argued that Trump is not truly “America First,” but rather “donor first.” Greene also stated that if Carlson ran for president, he would beat Trump, especially given Trump’s alleged attempts to violate the constitution by seeking a third term.

During his interview with The Economist, Carlson highlighted that Trump betrayed one of the core principles of the MAGA movement, known as “America First.” This principle has traditionally meant prioritizing the interests of the American people over foreign issues and opposing new wars.

Carlson criticized the war, stating that it is “not only contrary to America First, it may be its inverse.” He added that the strikes were something that “Trump promised he wouldn’t do, not once, but countless times.” During his 2024 election victory speech, Trump had declared, “I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars.”

In his criticism of Carlson, Trump claimed that “MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America First, and Tucker is none of those things.”

The former Fox News host recently expressed his views on his podcast, stating, “This is Israel’s war. This is not the United States’ war. This war’s not being waged on behalf of American national security objectives — to make the United States safer or richer. This war isn’t even about weapons of mass destruction, nukes.”

Trump has consistently claimed that Iran poses an “imminent” threat to Americans due to its “nuclear ambitions” and development of long-range missiles. He has also suggested that the U.S. may have forced Israel’s hand in the conflict, rather than the other way around.

Tucker invited Joe Kent, the now-former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, on his show. Kent resigned this week over Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran, arguing that the Middle Eastern country posed “no imminent threat” to the U.S. He also claimed that the strikes began “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

Kent suggested on Tucker’s show that Trump needs to “very forcefully and probably with a new team of diplomats, go to the Israelis and say, ‘You’re done. We will defend you. However, you are done going on the offense.’”

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