Did Tucker Carlson really leave the Republican Party? Why did it split?

Tucker CarlsonA decades-long supporter of the Republican Party and a fierce defender of it Donald TrumpHe broke away from the Republican Party. The longtime governor said in a June 2026 radio interview that he was officially “out” and listed his reasons for exit.

This announcement confused his fan base, as many had followed Carlson on his journey in broadcast media, specifically Fox News. Does his departure from the Republican Party indicate a new political beginning for him?

Here’s what Carlson actually said and what we know about his political affiliation.

Has Tucker Carlson already broken away from the Republican Party?

Obviously yes – Carlson is no longer recognized 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 poll numbers now tell a very clear story about this,” Carlson said, referring to the November 2026 midterm elections. “I will not support the Republican Party, there is no chance.” “It’s not possible to vote for people like that, and I won’t. I’ve voted Republican my whole life. I worked at Fox News. I’ve been a consistent advocate for 35 years of the Republican Party, but there’s no defending this because it’s immoral.”

The “immoral” act referred to by Carlson is the Trump administration’s decision to go to war with Iran.

“So no, I’m out,” he added. “And if I come out, I think a lot of other people will come out. … It’s not because I support the Democratic Party. I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Why did Tucker Carlson leave the Republican Party?

As previously mentioned, Carlson cited the Iran War as the main reason for his exit from the Republican Party.

However, his podcast announcement was no surprise. Carlson had separated from the party over the past few months. Earlier this year, he sat 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 agonize over this for a long time — and I will,” Carlson admitted. “And I want to say I’m sorry for misleading people. It wasn’t intentional, that’s all I’ll say.”

Was Tucker Carlson ever a Democrat?

Yes. In fact, Carlson was registered as a Democrat from 2006 to 2020. However, in 2017, he said his registration was only to gain the right to vote in mayoral primaries, and that he still “strongly despises”[d]”Democratic Party.