Former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson has poured cold water on speculation that he may join former President Donald Trump on the Republican 2024 ticket.
Trump himself has suggested he may be open to the idea of the conspiracy theorist — who frequently promoted racist and far-right talking points on his prime-time Fox show until he was fired in April — as his running mate if he secures the Republican nomination.
But when fellow Fox alum Megyn Kelly asked Carlson on her SiriusXM show on Monday if he would serve as Trump’s right-hand-man if requested, Carlson said it would be “so unimaginable.”
“I mean, I haven’t led a life that prepares a person for politics,” Carlson told Kelly. “As I said, I don’t think I have any horrible skeletons or anything. It’s not that. It’s just that that’s not how my brain works. I’ve never done anything like that. I can’t imagine spending time with politicians.”
In private messages that were released in March as part of Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox News, Carlson said he hated Trump “passionately.”
To Kelly on Monday, though, Carlson ― who on the same day launched his own streaming platform ― had nothing but praise for the four-times-indicted former president.
“I’m a total sucker for Trump,” he claimed. “Personally, I get along with Trump really well. The closer I am physically to Trump, like if I’m with him in the room, I always love Trump and I think it’s impossible not to, and you know the experience. He’s just charming.”
Carlson called Trump “funny as hell” and “brave in his way” and said he agreed with many of his policies and was “kind of psyched to vote” for him if he becomes the GOP nominee next year.
“But serving in politics with anybody, I mean, that’s just a lot for me to think about because I just don’t think I’m really suited for that. Would anyone want to see a guy like me run for office?” Carlson asked.
“Yes,” replied Kelly. ”I thought about it a million times.”
She predicted, “You’re not gonna end your life without having been probably president, maybe vice president. I just don’t think you will.”
Watch the exchange here: