On April 20, 2026, Tucker Carlson issued a public apology for his role in supporting and helping to re-elect Donald Trump in 2024. During an episode of his podcast, The Tucker Carlson Show, he expressed deep regret, stating he would be "tormented by it for a long time" and apologized to his audience for "misleading people".

 

Tucker Carlson apologizes

On April 20, 2026, Tucker Carlson issued a public apology for his role in supporting and helping to re-elect Donald Trump in 2024. During an episode of his podcast, The Tucker Carlson Show, he expressed deep regret, stating he would be "tormented by it for a long time" and apologized to his audience for "misleading people".

 

The apology marks a significant break in his long-standing alliance with the president. Key details of his statement include:

 

Reasons for the Apology

The War in Iran: Carlson cited the administration's involvement in a war in Iran, which began in February 2026, as a primary reason for his disillusionment. He described the administration's foreign policy as a "neoconservative resurgence" that betrayed his non-interventionist base.

Moral and Religious Objections: Carlson criticized Trump's recent rhetoric and an AI-generated depiction of the president as a Christ-like figure, calling it "sacrilegious" and a "mockery of Christianity".

"Implicated" in the Outcome: Speaking with his brother, Buckley Carlson (a former Trump speechwriter), Tucker stated, "We’re implicated in this for sure," acknowledging that their advocacy helped put the administration in power.

 

Public and Political Reaction

Donald Trump: The president responded by lashing out on social media, dismissing Carlson as a "low IQ person" and a "hand-flailing fool" who became "broken" after leaving Fox News.

Media Skepticism: Many commentators, including co-hosts on The View, dismissed the apology as "performative" or "too little, too late," noting his long history of private criticism that didn't match his public support.

Conservative Shift: Carlson joined other figures like Megyn Kelly, Alex Jones, and Candace Owens who have also become critical of Trump during his second term.