By Salma El-Sakka
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson declared on his podcast Wednesday that the era of President Donald Trump and the Fox News network has ended, following Democratic victories in the midterm elections that gave the party control of both the House and Senate.
Carlson calls election a historic blowout
Carlson described the midterm results as "the biggest blowout of our lifetimes" and "a collective howl of pain," comparing the Republican defeat to the sinking of the Lusitania. He argued that the GOP hamstrung itself by elevating poor candidates, including Vivek Ramaswamy and Mike Rogers, and called the nomination of Darline Graham a "humiliation ritual."
Iran war cited as decisive factor
The conservative commentator identified the ongoing Iran war as the decisive factor in the Republican collapse. Polls show the conflict remains deeply unpopular, and Carlson said Trump betrayed his voters by "choosing Israel over the United States." He asserted that the Republican Party "got exactly what they deserved."
Fox News accused of driving war policy
Carlson, who hosted an evening show on Fox News from 2016 to 2023 before the network announced it was "parting ways" with him, described the network as the driving force behind the war. He argued that Fox News, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, helped convince Trump to attack Iran. The conflict has stretched for eight months with no end in sight.
Trump retains foreign policy power until January
While declaring the Trump era over, Carlson warned that "the peril is not over" because the new Congress will not be sworn in until January and Trump retains unchecked power in foreign policy. He also noted that Americans should be grateful to Trump for revealing the "subterranean architecture of power."
GOP figures acknowledge war impact
Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that "the reason we lost is the war." During an election night interview, Trump conceded the Middle East conflict may have played a role in the midterms but stressed that attacking Iran was necessary. Exit polls showed the war was among the top issues influencing voters, alongside government corruption, cost of living, and AI.
