Tucker Carlson Says He Won't Support Republicans in Midterm Elections: 'I'm Out'

Tucker Carlson (Right bias) said there is "no chance" he would support the Republican Party in the upcoming midterm elections on a recent podcast.

Key Quote: Carlson told the Can't Be Censored podcast on June 18: "I would not support the Republican Party. There's no chance I would support the Republican Party. I'm not going to support the Democratic Party. I don't know what I'm going to do. But at this point… how could I or any American voter support a political party that's not loyal to the United States? That puts the interests of a foreign country above those of its own citizens… I voted Republican my entire life. I worked at Fox News, CNN, MSNBC. I've been a consistent defender for 35 years of the Republican Party – I mean, very consistent defender – but there's no defending this. Because it's immoral and it's exactly the opposite of what a political party in a democracy is charged with doing, which is representing its own voters, its own citizens, its own nation. And they're not doing that. So no, I'm out. And if I'm out, then I think a lot of other people are out."

How The Media Covered It: Carlson's comments went largely uncovered by media outlets until a clip was circulated widely on X by the pro-Democrat Headquarters page on June 22. They were then widely covered across the spectrum on June 22 and June 23. Most outlets did not note that Carlson's comments came in the context of a discussion about the midterms, and instead framed it as a permanent departure from the party. Notably, AllSides did not find coverage from Carlson's former employer, Fox News (Right), or its sister outlets, The New York Post (Lean Right) and The Wall Street Journal (Center). Sky News Australia, which is also a subsidiary of News Corp, did cover the story.

GOP Reactions: Several outlets noted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-GA) reaction. Greene wrote on X, "Tucker is not the only one who is done supporting the Republican Party. There is A LOT of us that are absolutely fed up and will not support a party that betrays its voters and country. That does not mean we are turning into Democrats either. But we are DONE with the America LAST Republican Party." Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who clashed with Carlson in a podcast interview one year ago, wrote on X, "This has been obvious for some time. @TuckerCarlson HATES: Trump, Republicans, Israel, Christian Zionists, YOU. Tucker loves: Qatar, The Ayatollah, Antisemite crackpots, Shirtless Putin, Sharia law."

Media Opinions: Rex Huppke of USA Today (Lean Left) criticized Carlson and said, "Republicans like to speak of principles, but at the end of the day, their primary principle is power. Period." He concluded, "Carlson and Greene and Co. will talk that talk. They'll cash the checks they earn in the attention economy. And then they'll dutifully vote for Republicans. Because that's how the con works." The Washington Examiner (Lean Right) and Townhall (Right) both published opinions that said "good riddance" to Carlson. Zachary Faria of The Washington Examiner framed Carlson as an "extremist" and "antisemite" and wrote, "This is welcome news… Israel is the first and just about the only thing he ever wants to talk about. He is utterly obsessed with Israel, and he has decided to abandon the fight against Democrats (which he used to pretend was crucial to the future of the country) because the GOP won't fully embrace his antisemitic conspiracy theories and Islamist propaganda about the Middle East." Dmitri Bolt of Townhall said Carlson's departure is a "welcome development" because his "influence over Republican politics has waned" and "he can no longer pass himself off as a conservative or a Republican." Bolt added, "His positions have increasingly diverged from core American values as he has drifted toward a worldview that mirrors elements of the progressive left far more than the right."

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