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Tucker Carlsona decades-long supporter of the Republican Party, but also a fierce defender of it Donald Trumpbroke away from the GOP. The longtime conservative said in a podcast interview in June 2026 that he was officially “out” and listed the reasons for his departure.
The statement confused his fan base, as many have followed Carlson on his journey in broadcast media, most notably Fox News. So does his departure from the Republican Party mark a new political beginning for him?
Here’s what Carlson actually said and what we know about his political beliefs.
Did Tucker Carlson actually split from the Republican Party?
Apparently so – Carlson no longer identifies as a member of the Republican Party. During a June 2026 appearance on the “Can’t Be Censored” podcast, the commentator said he was “out.”
“The polls are telling a pretty clear story about it now. I wouldn’t support the Republican Party, there’s no chance,” Carlson said, referring to the November 2026 midterm elections. “It’s not possible to vote for people like that and I’m not going to. I’ve voted Republican all my life. I’ve worked at Fox News. I’ve been a consistent defender of the Republican Party for 35 years, but this is indefensible because it’s immoral.”
The “immoral” act Carlson was referring to was the Trump administration’s decision to go to war with Iran.
“So no, I’m out,” he added. “And if I’m out, I think a lot of other people are out. … Not because I support the Democratic Party. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Why did Tucker Carlson leave the Republican Party?
As previously noted, Carlson cited the war with Iran as his primary reason for leaving the Republican Party.
His podcast reveal wasn’t a surprise, though. Carlson had broken away from the party in recent months. Earlier this year he sat down with his brother, Buckley Carlsonon “The Tucker Carlson Show” to discuss his past support of Trump and apologized to people for “misleading” them.
“You know, we’re going to be haunted by it for a long time – it will be,” Carlson admitted. “And I want to say I’m sorry for misleading people. It wasn’t intentional, that’s all I’ll say.”
Has Tucker Carlson ever been a Democrat?
Yes. In fact, Carlson was registered as a Democrat from 2006 to 2020. However, in 2017 he said his registration was only for voting rights in the mayoral primaries and that he still “sincerely despises” the Democratic Party.
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