The Daily Beast Podcast How Tucker Carlson Could Steal Crown From Trump
32 snips
Feb 5, 2026 
Jason Zengerle, journalist and author of Hated By All the Right People, explains Tucker Carlson’s rise from TV star to power broker. He discusses Tucker’s media tactics to influence Trump, the fallout from Fox and how firing reshaped him. The conversation covers Tucker’s flirtation with authoritarian figures, platforming extremists, and the personal history that may fuel his ambitions.
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Strategic Coldness Increased His Clout
- Tucker privately distrusted Trump and minimized direct contact, sometimes letting calls go to voicemail as a power move.
- Zengerle argues that this wary distance paradoxically increased Tucker's influence with Trump.
Dominion Emails Revealed Private Fury
- The Dominion discovery exposed texts showing Tucker privately angry at Trump and skeptical of election conspiracy theories.
- Zengerle notes Tucker even debunked Sidney Powell on air, showing a disconnect between private fury and public restraint.
Firing Fueled Closer Ties To Trump
- After being fired from Fox, Tucker needed an independent audience and therefore attached himself more tightly to Trump.
- Zengerle argues Tucker became the ideological standard-bearer for MAGA because of consistent messaging and renewed proximity to Trump.
