Tucker Carlson, the Fox News host turned Donald Trump critic, has privately revealed the circumstances under which he would run for president in 2028, according to a report.
There has been continuing speculation that Carlson and other MAGA exiles, including former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie, will form a new political party after becoming disillusioned with the GOP under Trump.
Carlson, who has been highly critical of Trump’s foreign policy and handling of the botched release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, even released a 10-point manifesto outlining “what America should be” amid rumors of the formation of an anti-MAGA third party.
While Carlson, who was fired by Fox News in April 2023 and has since built his own Tucker Carlson Network, has publicly stated he has no intention of running for president, two sources told Political Playbook that this could also change depending on a major decision from Trump.
“He won’t run against JD Vance. He will very likely run if Trump endorses Rubio,” a source close to Carlson said.
It has long been assumed that the vice president is the MAGA heir apparent and will get the crucial nod of approval from Trump to launch his own presidential bid in 2028.
For months, however, Trump has pitted Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio against each other, frequently asking those around him who they believed would make the better 2028 candidate. One person whose opinion Trump reportedly sought was conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch, according to New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump.
The president has also been dropping hints that he sometimes believes Rubio should lead the GOP’s 2028 presidential ticket, while never publicly offering anything other than lukewarm endorsements of Vance.
There have been rumors that a MAGA exile third party is being formed after Greene posted a photo of a group, which also included Trump’s former top counterterrorism official Joe Kent, sitting around a table at Carlson’s home on Aug. 1.
Trump’s inner circle has said they are not concerned about Carlson’s political ambitions and do not consider them a threat to the MAGA agenda.
“Carlson has no impact on administration policy. He has no impact on D.C. policy from lawmakers. There is no discernible impact from him or his show on anything—it’s just a circle jerk,” a source told Playbook. “He’s not building a new party, he’s building a new subscription model.”
Far-right activist and top Trump ally Laura Loomer added: “They view this as an opportunity to suppress the GOP vote, so that they can get revenge on Donald Trump.”
“They’re mad that Daddy cut them off, and now they’re trying to get back at Daddy by throwing a hissy fit before the midterms in an effort to get him to notice them and their outbursts.”
Another source close to Trump said they fear that the launch of a new third party could damage the GOP in the midterms. “Get just enough folks to stay home so we lose the House and the president gets destroyed,” they said.
Speaking to Playbook, Greene denied that she or Carlson is planning a 2028 White House bid but said she believes that the current two-party system is a “complete and total failure.”
“I am 100 percent totally completely disgusted with both parties,” she added.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
