Tucker Carlson told us he's running for president in 2024. Then he said he was joking. Then he said he's 'fundamentally a dick.'

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Tucker Carlson texted Insider late at night to say he was going to run for the presidency in 2024, but then said it was just a joke.
The exchange took place hours after Carlson posted a video on Twitter criticizing the media.
Carlson sent Insider a text message saying, "Totally kidding." "Sorry. "I can't control myself."

In a text message I sent to Tucker Carlson on Tuesday night, when I asked if he planned to run for President, he replied with a shocking "yes." Announcing in New Hampshire on Friday."

My earth-shaking scoop, however, was not for long. The former Fox News host confirmed what millions of Americans already knew: He is an asshole.

Carlson replied, "It was a joke." "Sorry. I'm a dick. I'm a fundamentally dick. My apologies."

Carlson's incendiary messages come at a time when the monologist is trying to reinvent himself as a Twitter personality full-time after 14 years with Fox News. The network fired him earlier this week. Carlson's program became an ideological North Star of the racialized and embittered nationalism which propelled Donald Trump to the White House. It also nourished the conspiracy theories of the Trump movement and their insatiable outrage after his loss in the 2020 election.

Carlson, on Fox, stoked hate against undocumented migrants, brushed over the violence that occurred during the insurrection of January 6, and criticised US support for Ukraine. Morning Consult's survey found that 63 percent of Carlson's fans were male, and 66 percent were white. He was making about $25 million per year before he got fired. The reported reasons for his firing ranged from a racist message to accusations of misogyny or bullying. Carlson could lose millions of dollars in severance if he moves his show to twitter, according to reports. This is because he has violated a clause in his contract that prohibits him from competing.

My question regarding Carlson's potential presidential ambitions wasn't as absurd as it may sound. Carlson has been the subject of speculation about a potential GOP primary run for many years. In a poll, 59 percent of Americans rated Carlson as favorable. This is higher than Fox News. Carlson, despite voicing his private concerns about Trump, has been wielding political power behind the scenes. This blurs the lines between Carlson's roles as a commentator and a political heavyweight. He helped to negotiate the standoff that occurred between Republican moderates, and far-right holdouts who elevated Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House on the 15th ballot.

Carlson's motivations for engaging directly with "news media", hours after lambasting the latter in a Twitter monologue, for "misleading the public", remain unclear. The media Carlson belongs to, and has been for decades, is one of the most popular punchbags despite being its best source.

Insider asked Carlson if he had ruled out running for the White House in 2024 after he revised his original claim that he would announce a presidential bid on Friday.

Carlson has not responded.

Original article available on Business Insider

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By: mschwartz@businessinsider.com (Mattathias Schwartz)
Title: Tucker Carlson told us he’s running for president in 2024. Then he said he was joking. Then he said he’s ‘fundamentally a dick.’
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/tucker-carlson-jokes-about-2024-white-house-wont-rule-out-2023-5
Published Date: Wed, 10 May 2023 16:44:16 +0000

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