Tucker Carlson Spills the Beans on Trump and Election: 'I Made a Huge Mistake'
Tucker Carlson has sworn off political prognostication, saying he made a “huge mistake” by setting aside objectivity in a recent election.
The former Fox News superstar sat down with British comedian and podcaster Russell Brand on Friday for a wide-ranging two-hour interview that covered Carlson’s split from Fox and his new Twitter program as well as his encounters with individuals such as Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Inevitably, the conversation turned to politics in general and former President Donald Trump in particular.
“It seems that you said that Trump was no longer relevant in the political conversation, he was no longer the lightning rod, he was no longer the berserker of American politics,” the “Stay Free” host began.
Brand, who has 1.3 million followers on Rumble, added that “loads of people on our platform absolutely love Donald Trump … They see him as the solution to America’s problems. They see him as the Great Swamp Drainer.”
“It seems you have occupied varying positions on Trump at various times,” he observed, apparently referring to some private texts in which the former Fox commentator expressed dislike and disdain for the former president.
“Where are you on Donald Trump now and, particularly, perhaps, how that relates to the emergence of radical anti-establishment figures within the Democrat Party, notably RFK?”
“I love Trump, personally,” Carlson told Brand.
“I made a huge mistake last November in getting involved in American politics, something I’ve never done before, and making calls — you know, ‘This guy’s gonna win, I think this is gonna happen in this state’ … and I was wrong on almost every call,” he said.
“I’m not a very astute political analyst,” Carlson admitted. “I’m not interested in politics. I never have been interested in politics. I’m interested in ideas. I’m interested in people.”
Regarding the U.S. presidential primary going on right now for the 2024 GOP nomination, Carlson said he has learned his lesson.
“I haven’t said word one about it,” he said. “[I] don’t plan to.”
Despite that, Carlson said Trump’s importance to the U.S. political scene is underestimated.
“I think, looking back on this, 10 years from now — assuming we’re still around — I think we’re going to see Trump’s emergence as the most significant thing to happen in American politics in a hundred years because he reoriented the Republican Party against the wishes of Republican leaders,” he told Brand.
One aspect of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign that Carlson said stood out to him has been his foreign policy views.
“You know, Trump is the only person with stature in the Republican Party, really, who’s saying, ‘Wait a second, why are we supporting an endless war in Ukraine?’
“And that, you know — leaving aside whether Trump’s going to get the nomination or get elected president or would be a good president — you know, I can’t even assess that.
“All I can say at this point is, I’m so grateful that he has that position.
“He’s right, and everyone in Washington is wrong — everyone.
“And Trump is right on that question, and it’s a big question. That war is reshaping the world, it’s reshaping the economy of the world, it’s reshaping populations.
“I was just in Romania last week, you know, which, of course, shares a border with Ukraine. The refugees in that region, the number of people killed in that war — I mean, Europe will never be the same because of this war.
“It really matters, and Trump alone, among popular figures in both parties, understands that, and I’m grateful for it.
“Whether he gets the nomination or gets elected, words really matter. Saying something true, out loud, matters.
“And he is saying true things about Ukraine, and God bless him.”
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