He’s one of the most popular faces on the Fox News Channel and the darling of conservatives nationwide.
Now, there’s speculation that top-rated broadcaster Tucker Carlson may run for president in 2024.
During a Friday speech in Des Moines, Iowa, Carlson “flirted with a presidential run in his speech to a large gathering of Christian conservative voters,” reports Yahoo News.
“He’s definitely flirting with it, 100 percent,” Jon Schweppe, policy director for the social conservative group American Principles Project, told Yahoo. “He has the role that Rush Limbaugh had in the ’90s and he’s very aware of it. Tucker is setting the terms of ’24 right now, he is the moderator. He’ll be hugely influential in terms of setting the topics. He has the bully pulpit.”
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During Carlson’s address, the television host noted: “Nobody on either side has an ironclad claim to the nomination,” not mentioning Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump.
He also probed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I’m not a Putin defender, despite what you may have heard, because he’s not the president of my country,” Carlson explained.
“And what he does in Ukraine, while I think is historically significant – certainly significant to Ukrainians – is not more significant to me than the cost of gas.”
He also slammed conservatives who are overly concerned with mainstream media opinions, mentioning former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who tweeted condolences for George Floyd in 2020.
“I’ve always liked Nikki Haley, I would tell it to her face, ‘I like you, I don’t want you in charge of anything,'” Carlson said. “Because the second things get intense … I want a leader who can still think clearly.”
Nikki Haley speaks at the Republican National Convention on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020 (RNC video screenshot)
Carlson has repeatedly tried to throw cold war on presidential chatter for himself, telling journalist Ben Smith of Semafor, “I’m not running,” along with laughter.
Yahoo reported: “Carlson used the event to blast transgender athletes, high energy prices (and wind turbines), make a glancing mention to Jan. 6 (an issue which hasn’t engaged voters on the right), before ultimately pivoting to an attack on corporate America. The speech ultimately focused on the kind of pocketbook issues that have been engaging many voters this year, themes very familiar to his large cable audience.”