Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson blamed the Iran war for Republicans’ midterm defeat and said the Trump and Fox News eras were over, The Independent reported.
Carlson made the remarks on his podcast Wednesday. He identified the conflict as the decisive factor in Republicans’ losses, arguing that President Donald Trump had betrayed voters by putting Israel ahead of the United States. Carlson also criticized candidates including Vivek Ramaswamy and Mike Rogers, and called Darline Graham’s nomination a “humiliation ritual.”
The Independent reported that Democrats reclaimed control of the House and Senate after victories in a string of states that had voted Republican. Carlson called the outcome “the biggest blowout of our lifetimes” and described it as a “collective howl of pain.” He said the result marked the end of Trump’s political era and Fox News’ era.
Vice President JD Vance wrote on X Wednesday: “The reason we lost is the war.” Trump told Fox News on election night that the conflict may have affected voters but maintained that attacking Iran was necessary, The Independent reported.
The outlet reported that Trump had dismissed Carlson as “totally irrelevant” and “a very Low I.Q. individual.” Carlson endorsed Trump before the 2024 election and campaigned alongside him. He hosted a Fox News evening show from 2016 to 2023 and often praised Trump on air, The Independent reported. Carlson’s public break with Trump followed a spring attack on Iran by the United States and Israel. He has called the war “absolutely evil and disgusting” and accused Trump of putting Israel ahead of Americans.
The Independent reported that the new Congress is not due to be sworn in until January. Carlson warned that Trump would retain unchecked power over foreign policy until lawmakers take office.
