Tucker Carlson, the ousted Fox News host, has been named as a “contender” to be former President Donald Trump’s running mate in the 2024 election, according to Donald Trump Jr. Despite revealing his hatred for Trump in a private text, Carlson is still being considered for the position. The text was revealed during the discovery process in the lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News for its defamatory and inaccurate coverage of baseless allegations that the voting machine manufacturer had helped rig the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden.
Appearing on Newsmax, Donald Trump Jr said that Carlson as a possible VP pick “clearly would be on the table”. He said that Carlson and his father are “very friendly” and agreed on many things. They particularly agree on ending the never-ending wars. Mr. Trump himself expressed last November that he would consider Carlson “because he’s got great common sense”.
However, Tucker Carlson has expressed uncertainty over the possibility of joining Mr. Trump’s 2024 ticket. In a podcast interview with Roseanne Barr late last year, Carlson said he put the possibility “in the category of an asteroid striking the Earth. Good or bad, it’s so far outside of my control.” While being flattered by the notion, he stated he is not a politician and would have to think about it if offered the opportunity.
Carlson became one of the largest stars on Fox News as he peddled white supremacist, racist ideas and various conspiracy theories. His show was taken off air in April last year. He later recalled in an interview with his biographer Chadwick Moore how his removal was part of the $787.5m settlement between Fox and Dominion. “They agreed to take me off the air, my show off the air, as a condition of the Dominion settlement,” he said. “They had to settle this, [now-retired Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch] couldn’t testify. I think that deal was made minutes before the trial started. I mean, I know it was.”
During the same Newsmax interview, Donald Trump Jr refused to reveal the identity of his father’s running mate but mentioned Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Ohio GOP Senator JD Vance, a former Trump critic turned ally, was also acknowledged. Mr. Trump Jr dismissed ex-House and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, who ran against Mr. Trump in 2016 and then served in his cabinet, as “almost too nice for politics”.
The prospect of Tucker Carlson as a VP pick for Donald Trump in 2024 has raised concern among some. Carlson has faced widespread criticism for his comments on immigration, women, minorities, and LGBT individuals. He has been targeted with boycotts in the past and the mention of a political career has drawn further scrutiny. However, time will tell whether or not he accepts the opportunity should it be offered.
