Tucker Carlson is getting candid about his fallout with Donald Trump, his infamous interview with Nick Fuentes, Erica Kirk and more.
In a wide-ranging interview with New York Times Published on Saturday, the former Fox News host opened up about his breakup with Trump over the Iran War, explained why he believes the president is casting a “spell” on those around him, clarified previous comments about previously suggesting that Trump could be the “Antichrist,” shared his theory that Trump could legalize cannabis to lower testosterone levels, reflected on Erica Kirk and regretted interviewing far-right commentator Nick Fuentes.
Carlson was a prominent player in cable news for decades, hosting shows on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News before he was abruptly fired from Fox in 2023 shortly after the network settled its defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems, though Fox said the decision was unrelated.
Since his exit, Carlson has carved out a new life in digital media, tapping into raving audiences while expanding his brand into other projects, including a book edition announced last month.
Here are some of his most surprising comments from the interview.
Speaking about why he previously said he was “sorry for misleading people,” Carlson pointed to Trump’s decisions in Iran.
“The ticket to acceptance into the conversation is admitting when you’re wrong,” Carlson said. “I spent 10 years defending Trump on Fox News. And I probably will again, because I agree with him on the issues I agree with him… I told people this guy is going to keep us out of the next Iraq, and specifically he’s going to keep us out of a regime change war with Iran… And here we are in the middle of a regime change war in Iran… So I’m sorry.”
When asked about the “Antichrist” invocation previously in relation to Trump, Carlson repeatedly denied calling him that directly, saying “I didn’t say that,” however, New York Times He referred to previous footage in which he asked: “Could this be the Antichrist?”
“I don’t know where that comes from, but I know those words never left my lips because I’m not sure I fully understand what the Antichrist is, if there is only one,” Carlson replied. “I’ve actually tried to understand that. Maybe you said some people ask that. I don’t think it’s because I don’t understand it, just to be perfectly clear.”
Carlson also described Trump as having a “magical” presence.
“There’s a kind of quality to him that’s amazing,” he said. “And I think it’s probably literally a mantra… You spend a day with Trump and you’re in this kind of dreamland. It’s like smoking weed or something like that. It’s interesting, very interesting. There may be a supernatural element to it.”
He went on to speculate that Trump could legalize cannabis as a way to “lower testosterone levels” and make people “more negative,” adding: “Take more benzo, it’s okay. Because it’s not good, that’s the truth.”
He also expressed his own theories about the harm he believes has been done to many people in Trump’s orbit.
“One thing that has bothered me for many years is the fact that so many people in Trump’s immediate orbit have been infected,” Carlson said. “He went to prison, became unemployed, was publicly exposed, and got cancer. And I’m a believer in comprehensive assessments of things. So you’re trying to think, is Trump good or bad? He’s saying things I really agree with. But people around him are hurting. Is the country actually getting better? I don’t know.”
Speaking about his interview with Fuentes in October, Carlson admitted, “I wish I had never interviewed Fuentes.”
“It was not worth it at all,” he said, adding that it distracted from urgent talks about Iran. “It added more distraction. What I really wanted to talk about was where we were going in this war with Iran. And I spent about a month getting calls from people telling me, ‘You’re a Nazi!’ I wish I hadn’t done that. It hadn’t put my soul in danger.”
He added: “The only person I was really rude to was Ted Cruz, because my ability to control myself is limited and he is very obnoxious. I couldn’t control myself. I was an idiot, and I tried to apologize.”
Carlson also addressed his relationship with Turning Point USA following the killing of Charlie Kirk in September, saying he still cares deeply about Erika Kirk and remains concerned about the investigation.
“I’ve always liked Erika Kirk,” Carlson said. “What concerns me more broadly is the investigation into Charlie’s murder, which has been cut short by the FBI and I would like to know why.”
Alex Weprin contributed to this story.
