US President Donald Trump (left) and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson [Getty Images]
US President Donald Trump (left) and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson [Getty Images]

Tucker Carlson, the conservative commentator who was once close to President Donald Trump before parting ways with him, has announced plans to help establish a third political party in the United States.

According to The New York Times, Carlson said in an interview with the Columbia Journalism Review — published Wednesday — that he would "help create a third party" and that "there needs to be a good-faith effort to figure out what is actually in the interest of this country."

The New York Times described Carlson's third-party push as coming "at a moment of upheaval for both major parties," noting that the Democratic Party has seen a dissident left wing rise amid growing anger over party leadership's stance on Israel following the war in Gaza, while the Republican Party remains divided over Trump's handling of the Iran war.

In the interview, Carlson said both the Democratic and Republican parties had failed to offer meaningful contrast on issues such as fiscal policy and war.

"This is not a democracy," he said. "It's a one-party state masquerading as a democracy, and it needs to be dismantled."

He added, "There will be a third party, and I will do everything I can to make that happen."

Carlson drew a line at the prospect of running for office himself, however. "I'm not a politician," he said. "I'm not a power rival to Trump. I have no power."

Carlson targets GOP: 'A party not loyal to America'

Carlson is a former Fox News anchor who has drawn criticism for antisemitic remarks and is known for his staunchly conservative views.

He had been a prominent voice in the so-called MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, a core pillar of Trump's political base. He threw his full support behind Trump during the last presidential election and helped him win, but the two effectively parted ways over Trump's airstrikes on Iran and the ensuing war.

According to Axios, Carlson announced on his podcast on June 22 that he was leaving the Republican Party, saying it no longer reflected his views.

"When I leave, a lot of people will leave," he said. "I will not support the Republican Party. There is zero chance I support the Republican Party."

He cited as his reason for leaving that the party had "betrayed" voters by prioritizing Israel's security over that of the United States.

"That party puts the interests of a foreign country above the interests of its own people," he said. "How can you support a party that is not loyal to America? I can't vote for those people, and I won't."

Axios said Carlson's announcement showed deepening fractures within the MAGA coalition Trump had built, adding that "his Iran war and the way he has managed the economy are causing divisions even among Republicans."


yul@heraldcorp.com