The 2024 race is full of surprises. But no one saw this coming.
And Tucker Carlson shook up the 2024 race with a bombshell announcement.
During the final night of the Republican National Convention, political commentator Tucker Carlson lauded former President Donald Trump as an unparalleled and devoted leader.
“Being a leader is not a title, it’s organic,” Carlson declared. “You can’t name someone a leader. A leader is the bravest man; that’s what a leader is. That is true in all human organizations. That is a law of nature. And in that moment [following the assassination attempt], Donald Trump, months before the presidential election, became the leader of this nation.”
Carlson, one of the few speakers who didn’t rely on a teleprompter, reflected extensively on Trump’s near-fatal experience, suggesting it both identified Trump as a leader and fundamentally changed him.
“Everything was different after that moment. This convention was different, the nation was different, the world was different, Donald Trump was different,” he observed. “When he stood up after being shot in the face, bloodied, and put his hand up, I thought at that moment, ‘that was a transformation.’”
“He was no longer just a political party’s nominee, or a former president, or a future president,” Carlson continued. “This was the leader of a nation.”
This marked a significant comeback for Carlson, who had been ousted from his prime position over a year ago.
Having worked at CNN and MSNBC before reaching peak fame as a Fox News host from 2016 to 2023, Carlson has stayed in the conservative limelight by hosting a show on X and speaking at right-leaning events.
His proximity to Trump’s inner circle appears to have grown since his departure from Fox, frequently spotted at the Milwaukee GOP convention and even sitting in Trump’s VIP box on the first night.
Carlson, emphasizing the essence of leadership, drew on his long tenure in Washington and the city’s political culture.
“The presidency comes with great power, obviously, but if you think about it, that is a title that is bestowed by a process of some sort, which can be subverted,” he noted. “In the end, it does not confer by itself, as no title does, legitimacy. Just because you call yourself the president doesn’t mean that much inherently.”
“I can call my dog the CEO of Hewlett Packard; it doesn’t mean she is,” he quipped. “It’s true! And you hate to say it, but it is also true that you could take, I don’t know, a mannequin or dead person and make him president.”
Despite his controversial reputation, convention attendees praised Carlson as a bold voice for the right.
“He doesn’t care if you agree with it or not,” said attendee Nicole Powell. “The reality is we are a society of people with differing opinions, and you should be allowed to express your opinions.”
Don Huffines, visiting from Dallas, praised Carlson’s clarity, saying, “He explains it so clearly that this is about good and evil.”
Carlson credited Trump’s bravery with calming the crowd in Pennsylvania after being grazed by a bullet, asserting that, contrary to his opponents’ warnings, Trump’s mission is about restoring democracy by delivering what voters want.
He highlighted vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as an embodiment of this vision due to Vance’s alignment with Trump’s policies.
“The entire point, from the famous escalator ride nine years ago until today, of Donald Trump’s public life has been to remind us of one fact, which is that a leader’s duty is to his people, to his country, and to no other,” Carlson said. “And another word for this is democracy.”
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