Former FOX News host Tucker Carlson went from staunch ally of Republican President Donald Trump to arch enemy, and now he's going further. Carlson just announced he's shaking off the entire GOP.
That's right, during an appearance on the 'Can’t Be Censored' podcast, Carlson announced he's no longer a Republican.
And, it has many wondering if this is a first step toward announcing himself as an independent candidate for the presidency in 2028.
For now, Carlson announced only that he's leaving the GOP, citing the party's "disloyalty to the United States and prioritization of foreign interests." He was deeply unhappy with Trump's war in Iran, among other international battles.
Carlson also accused President Trump of kowtowing to campaign donors and being more loyal to Israel than the U.S., claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu influenced Trump to go to war with Iran.
“They are making decisions on the basis of other criteria, what’s best for this company, what’s best for Israel, what’s best for our donors,” he said. “That’s not just, like, they are off in the wrong direction, like, that is unacceptable, that’s treasonous, it’s immoral, it can’t continue.
“I’ve been a consistent defender for 35 years of the Republican Party, I mean very consistent defender, but there’s no defending this,” he said. “So no, I’m out. And if I’m out, then I think a lot of other people are out.”
Trump fired back on the Israel accusation, saying, “I call the shots. He [Netanyahu] doesn’t call the shots.”
While Carlson says, he's no longer a Republican. He's also not a Democrat.
“Not gonna support the Democratic Party,” Carlson added on the show. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
What does that leave in terms of options? Carlson is currently ranked third among potential 2028 Republican presidential contenders on a popular betting site.
Polymarket’s Republican Presidential Nominee 2028 has Vice President J.D. Vance leading at 31%, Secretary of State Marco Rubio close behind, and Carlson in third.
He has a 10% chance, according to odds on the site, which may not seem that high but it "eclipses Carlson’s previous high."
"In early May, Polymarket announced he had hit an all-time high of 7% as he teased a potential run. That spike came after an interview with Piers Morgan in which Mr. Carlson refused to rule out a presidential bid, saying the chance to debate Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas might be reason enough to run, per the site.
I SUPPORT TUCKER.
— Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@FmrRepMTG) March 5, 2026
Trump doesn’t even know what MAGA is anymore and turned it into MIGA.
Trump is not America First, he’s donor first.
Tucker would beat Trump if he ran for President and Trump tried to violate the constitution and tried to run again for a third term. https://t.co/GL6WgzktvM
While he hasn't ruled out or accepted a presidential run, another former Trump ally -- Marjorie Taylor Greene -- hopes he runs.
Her support, notably, came in response to Trump lashing out at his former pal for criticizing the war in Iran.
"Tucker has lost his way," Trump said in an interview. "I knew that a long time ago, and he's not MAGA. MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America first, and Tucker is none of those things. And Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that."
