Tucker Carlson says Trump era is over - and with it Fox News

Tucker Carlson declared the era of President Donald Trump — and Fox News — officially over, following the midterm elections which saw Democrats reclaim control of both the House and the Senate.The former Trump ally and ex-Fox News host made the remarks on his podcast Wednesday, a day after Democrats romped to victory in a string of red states, ushering in an era of divided government.Carlson called the election “the biggest blowout of our lifetimes,” “a collective howl of pain,” and a disaster on par with the sinking of the Lusitania.In his estimation, Republicans hamstrung themselves by elevating poor candidates, including Vivek Ramaswamy and Mike Rogers. Carlson described the nomination of Darline Graham as a “humiliation ritual.”But, Carlson said, the decisive factor in the GOP’s dramatic defeat was the Iran war, which polls show remains deeply unpopular. By entering the conflict, Trump betrayed his voters and “chose Israel over the United States,” Carlson continued. As a result, the Republican Party “got exactly what they deserved.”Ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson declared that the era of President Donald Trump and Fox News is over, following disastrous midterm election results for Republicans (Tucker Carlson)“So we can say without hyperbole or gloating this is the end of the Trump era,” the conservative podcast host said. “It’s also the end, by the way, of the Fox News era.”Carlson hosted an evening show on Fox News from 2016 to 2023, during which he often praised Trump, before the network announced it was “parting ways” with him in April of that year. Details later emerged that suggested the anchor was blindsided by the move, which came after a lawsuit brought against him by a former producer who ultimately received a $12million settlement from Fox. On his podcast Wednesday, Carlson described Fox News as the driving force behind the war, which has stretched on for eight months with no end in sight. He argued that the network, in addition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had helped convince Trump to attack Iran.“So that’s over,” Carlson, 57, said. “I mean it’ll continue, they’ve got cable subscriptions and everything, but, like this is, we're done here with Fox News; we’re done here with Trump.”Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Carlson endorsed Trump and campaigned alongside him (Getty Images)The podcast host, whose show has over five million subscribers, said that Americans should still be grateful for Trump for one reason.“We should be thankful for the main thing he did for us, which was to reveal the subterranean architecture of power,” Carlson told viewers. “Trump by his presence, by design or not, it almost doesn’t matter, pulled back the curtain.”He also warned that the “peril is not over,” noting that the new Congress will not be sworn in until January and that Trump retains unchecked power in matters of foreign policy. Ahead of the midterms, Carlson claimed that the White House may be days away from launching a nuclear strike on Iran.The Independent has contacted the White House and Fox News for comment.During an interview on election night, President Trump conceded that the Iran war may have factored into voters’ minds (AFP/Getty)Carlson, once a supporter of the Iraq war, renounced his support for the conflict in 2004 and has since described himself as a skeptic of foreign intervention. Ahead of the 2024 election, Carlson endorsed Trump and campaigned alongside him. However, this spring, he became one of several influential conservatives to publicly break with the president after the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack against Iran.Carlson has called the war as “absolutely evil and disgusting.” In response, Trump has dismissed Carlson as “totally irrelevant” and a “very Low I.Q. individual.”Surveys conducted in recent months indicate many Americans are opposed to the war, which has led to the deaths of at least 18 service members, cost tens of billions of dollars to American taxpayers and spiked fuel prices. According to exit polls, the conflict was among the top issues cited by voters as impacting their decision at the ballot box. Other major issues included government corruption, the cost of living and AI.During an interview with Fox News on election night, Trump himself conceded that the Middle East conflict may have played a role in the midterms — though he stressed that attacking Iran was necessary. Vice President JD Vance went further, writing in a lengthy X post Wednesday: “The reason we lost is the war.”