New third party: Tucker won’t run, but says he’s helping build a political earthquake

Tucker Carlson is no longer simply criticizing Washington’s political class from the sidelines.

The former Fox News host and one of the most influential voices in conservative media says he intends to help build a third party aimed at breaking what he describes as a corrupt “uniparty” system that no longer represents ordinary Americans.

Carlson made the remarks during a lengthy interview with the Columbia Journalism Review, expanding on frustrations he has voiced for months regarding foreign policy, government spending, and what he sees as a growing disconnect between voters and both major political parties.

“I do know what really matters is war and finance. Where does the money come from? Where does it go? And who gets killed?” Carlson said.

“And on those questions, the parties are in lockstep solidarity with each other. That’s not a democracy. That’s a one-party state posing as a democracy, and it needs to be broken, and there’s going to be a third party, and I’m going to do everything I can to bring that about.”

The comments follow Carlson’s increasingly public criticism of Republicans he believes have abandoned an America First agenda in favor of interventionist foreign policy and establishment priorities.

During a recent appearance on the “Can’t Be Censored” podcast, Carlson questioned how voters could continue supporting politicians who, in his view, place foreign interests ahead of American citizens.

“How could I or any American voter support a political party that’s not loyal to the United States?” Carlson asked. “That puts the interests of a foreign country above those of its own citizens. It’s not possible to vote for people like that, and I’m not going to.”

Carlson’s frustration appears centered on recent debates involving military intervention overseas and bipartisan support for policies he believes fail to address the economic struggles facing working Americans.

“If you vote for Trump and you still wind up in a regime-change war—if Chuck Schumer is strongly behind Trump’s foreign policy, which he is—then we need options, or else let’s just give up and be ruled by the most unscrupulous people,” Carlson said.

“And I’m just too young to accept that. We need a third party.”

When asked directly whether he intended to run as that party’s presidential nominee, Carlson immediately shut down the speculation.

“I don’t want to be a candidate,” he said.

Instead, Carlson said his focus is on building a movement around issues he believes neither party is seriously addressing.

“I’m going to help build a third party. There should be a good-faith effort to figure out what benefits the country.”

He pointed to the struggles facing working-class Americans as evidence that the current system is failing.

“If you make sixty thousand dollars a year, you’re degraded,” Carlson said. “Your life expectancy has gone down, and the promise of your children’s lives is likely gone. No one seems to care.”

The comments come as other prominent populist conservatives have floated similar ideas.

Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene recently told Piers Morgan that conversations are already underway about creating what she described as a “true America-focused” alternative to both major parties.

“There is a group of us that have literally fought the system,” Greene said. “I think there’s a group of us that if we decide to align, we could launch a true America-focused party.”

Whether such an effort gains traction remains unclear.

American political history is littered with failed third-party movements that generated headlines but struggled to overcome ballot access laws, fundraising hurdles, and the entrenched power of Republicans and Democrats.

Still, Carlson’s comments are notable because they reflect a growing frustration among some populist conservatives who believe the Republican Party has embraced many of the same priorities they once expected Democrats to champion.

For now, Carlson insists he has no interest in being a candidate.

But he appears increasingly interested in becoming something else entirely, the architect of a political rebellion.

Tucker Carlson is saying out loud what a lot of conservatives have been muttering under their breath for years. The question isn’t whether Republicans are better than Democrats. They are.

The question is whether the Republican establishment has become so comfortable inside Washington that it increasingly resembles the people it claims to oppose. That’s the nerve Tucker is touching.

Now before everyone starts ordering yard signs for the Patriot Freedom America First Party or whatever consultants eventually name it, let’s acknowledge reality.

Third parties have a terrible track record. For every successful political realignment in American history, there are dozens of movements that ended up helping the side they disliked most.

Ross Perot didn’t become president.

The Tea Party succeeded because it transformed the Republican Party from within.

Donald Trump didn’t create a third party either. He hijacked an existing one and forced it to answer to voters instead of donors.

Still, Tucker is identifying a very real frustration.

Millions of Americans voted for America First policies because they were tired of endless foreign entanglements, tired of Washington spending money like a drunken lottery winner, and tired of being told that every problem on Earth is somehow their responsibility.

When voters hear politicians obsessing over every corner of the globe while their own communities struggle with inflation, crime, debt, housing costs, and declining opportunity, resentment builds. Fast.

Now, do I think Tucker Carlson is running for president? No.

Do I think he’s serious about trying to pressure the political system? Absolutely.

And here’s the part that should concern both parties. The public’s trust in institutions is collapsing. Trust in Congress is awful.

Trust in the media is even worse. Trust in the political class is somewhere below used-car salesmen and cable company customer service departments.

That creates opportunities for political outsiders.