In a Thursday piece for Salon , writer Roger Sollenberger argued that Fox News host Tucker Carlson is attempting to “rebrand himself” in anticipation of Donald Trump and the Republican Party suffering an electoral defeat in November.
“Carlson, never one to shy from criticizing Donald Trump or GOP orthodoxy, appears to be cashing in on his new clout as part of an effort to rebrand himself — as well as Trump and possibly his network — in anticipation of a Republican electoral defeat in November,” Sollenberger wrote.
According to Sollenberger, Carlson has been taking aim at Black Lives Matter protests and putting himself at the forefront of the current culture wars to put himself in a position where he could say “I told you so” if Trump faces a severe loss at the ballot box.
Sollenberger pointed to Carlson’s attack on Republican Sen. Mike Braun as a “weak” Republican who has failed to use his legislative power effectively amid the protests that continue across the United States. But Carlson’s critique of GOP lawmakers didn’t stop there. As Sollenberger noted, the host continued to criticize them for their purported inaction amid the BLM protests.
“Despite the way they talk, they’re not secretly working for the other side. Most of them are just empty, sad people, and politics is the way they fill the yawning void inside where a personal life should be.”
Although Carlson appeared to take aim at Trump during this Fox News segment, he did not explicitly attack the president. Instead, the host suggested that a competent leader would do everything possible to stop the rioting.
Sollenberger also pointed out that Trump keeps a close eye on Carlson’s analysis, which has thrown him into the position of the most-watched platform in cable news history. In a recent piece for Vanity Fair , Gabriel Sherman reported that Trump recently called Carlson for advice on how to move forward with his reelection campaign.
As reported by Salon , Meghan McCain recently noted on The View that Carlson appears to be turning on Trump and pointed to his recent attack on the GOP. McCain seemed to agree with Carlson’s sentiment that the Republican Party is not taking enough action in the current political climate and suggested that his position as a leader in the party is a concern.
“He’s not an elected official,” she said.
According to McCain, Republicans are “starting to jump ship” amid the escalating coronavirus pandemic, which some other countries appear to have taken control of. She also suggested that trust in Trump’s government is declining because of America’s record-high gun sales, which she said reflects an increased fear in the country.
