We need to persuade Tucker Carlson’s followers, not purge them - opinion

Tucker Carlson has greatly miscalculated his strategy. For years, he positioned himself as the voice of the American Right - a truth-teller who challenged corrupt elites and defended ordinary Americans against globalist institutions. But in his attempt to reinvent himself as an “anti-establishment” crusader, he has failed to comprehend what MAGA voters despise most: deceit and betrayal.

From platforming paid propagandists for authoritarian regimes to predicting that President Trump would start World War III, Carlson has drifted far from the principles that once made him a trusted voice.

He was once a platform for bold, unapologetic commentary; now he serves as a loudspeaker for foreign disinformation and cynical revisionism. The populist fire that once defined his message has been replaced by a hollow contrarianism that serves America’s adversaries more than its citizens.

Carlson’s downfall is not simply about ideology since he remains a titan within the MAGA ecosystem. His reach, charisma, and command over the narrative continue to influence millions. Yet beneath that surface influence, his words carry a darker purpose. Unless one follows his guests and statements closely, it is easy to miss how often he sides with the forces that despise Western values. He has defended Vladimir Putin’s aggression, attempted to sanitize the crimes of Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela, and even flirted with Sharia law.

I do not consider Tucker Carlson an antisemite, although many of his recent associations and rhetorical choices suggest comfort with those who are. The deeper problem is not his feelings toward Jews. It is his growing hostility toward the foundations of Western civilization itself. Across continents, Carlson has aligned with tyrants, excused extremists, and undermined the ideals he once claimed to defend – liberty, truth, and moral courage. His transformation is not only ideological; it is moral. The man who once claimed to protect the American experiment now appears intent on dismantling it.

When responding to this shift, we must avoid the mistakes that have previously divided movements. We cannot label everyone who fails to publicly reject Tucker Carlson as part of his camp. The right has always been a movement grounded in ideas rather than loyalty tests. Take Megyn Kelly, for example. Viewers of her show can see that she is ideologically at odds with Tucker. Yet if you scroll through social media, you might assume otherwise. Carefully edited clips circulate daily to create the illusion that she stands with him, when these narratives are manufactured to inflate Tucker’s influence.

Tucker’s ideas are unpopular within MAGA because most Americans do not have time to analyze his every interview or statement, and that has allowed a distorted perception to form. There are clear signs of coordinated foreign manipulation online, designed to amplify his message and create a false impression that his views represent the movement. This is one of the oldest propaganda tactics: convince people that an idea is mainstream, and many will hesitate to question it.

The solution is not to demand endless disavowals or to excommunicate anyone who fails to speak out. That approach fractures the coalition and empowers the forces we oppose. The correct way to respond is to promote better ideas, not just attack bad ones. Instead of berating fellow conservatives for failing to criticize Tucker, we should elevate voices that offer clarity, truth, and moral conviction.

To defeat falsehood, we must outshine it. The movement that Tucker once energized must now distinguish between populism and propaganda, between skepticism and subversion. The future of American conservatism depends on the courage to stand for truth, even when that truth requires confronting one of its former icons.