Greene says Carlson won’t run for president

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has shut down speculation that conservative pundit Tucker Carlson might launch a third-party White House bid after President Trump leaves office. “Tucker, he’s not running for president,” Greene told Politico Playbook over the weekend. “He said that publicly. He said that privately.”

The denial comes as Carlson’s name has circulated among Republican-aligned groups frustrated with Trump’s influence over the party. Some analysts see Carlson as a potential spoiler who could peel off disaffected conservatives in key states if he ran as an independent. Greene’s pushback suggests Trump-aligned Republicans want to avoid a split that could help Democrats. Carlson himself has not ruled out leaving Fox News, where he built a loyal following, but he has repeatedly said he’s not interested in elected office.

Greene’s comments follow months of chatter about Carlson’s political future. The Fox host has criticized Trump’s leadership in private conversations and on his show, fueling speculation he might challenge the former president or the GOP establishment. Yet Carlson has dismissed the idea, telling associates he prefers influencing policy from outside government. Greene, a vocal Trump ally, may be trying to preempt any challenge that could weaken the party’s unity heading into 2024.

If Carlson were to run, it could create the kind of fragmentation that hurt Republicans in past elections. Third-party candidates have siphoned votes from conservatives before, most notably in 2016 when Libertarian Gary Johnson drew support from Donald Trump in key states. Greene’s denial likely reflects the party’s fear of repeating that mistake. For now, Carlson remains focused on his media empire, but the speculation isn’t going away—especially as Trump’s grip on the GOP loosens.