3 min readJun 26, 2026 08:20 PM IST
Tucker Carlson, the face behind US President Donald Trump’s MAGA rupture, has once again risen to speak against his former ally and his actions in the Iran-US conflict through a podcast, telling him to “shut up b****”.
Carlson made a guest appearance on the “Jack Neel Podcast” on Wednesday, where he accused Trump of making empty threats to Iran and calling them meaningless. He accused that the threats were an attempt to make it appear that Trump had strength.
‘There are two types of guys’
Regarding Trump’s threats to Iran, Carlson said, “My father, who was a boxer at one point, would always say, ‘there are two types of guys, and you gotta be careful of the second.’”
He applied the saying to Trump, calling him a person who will always start a fight by making intimidating gestures and comments. In contrast, a person who was actually worth being careful over would be a person who would attack without warning.
Carlson also imitated the president pushing his fingers into someone else’s chest, saying, “Strong people don’t brag about how strong they are. They just punch you in the face and end the conversation.”
He was referring to Trump’s repeated threats to destroy Iran’s entire civilisation or to continue a bombing campaign if Iran did not agree to a ceasefire — threats that Trump then walked back on multiple occasions.
A break with Trump
Carlson’s criticism of Trump is not new. He has been vocal against the Iran conflict since June 2025, when Trump bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. He even claims to have personally warned the president in February, shortly before the war began, that the conflict would damage his reputation.
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Since then, Carlson has grown increasingly critical, arguing that Trump is prioritising foreign interests over American ones, and that the Iran war signals there is “no future of the MAGA movement.”
His frustrations have now extended beyond Trump himself. Carlson, who expressed regret over endorsing Trump in the 2024 presidential election, recently indicated he would not support the Republican Party going forward either.
“I just grieve”
Despite the sharp words, Carlson was careful to clarify that his criticism stemmed from no personal animosity.
“I don’t hate Trump. I’ve always liked Trump. I just am a shallow man. I like vulgar jokes. I’m easily entertained,” he said, adding, “He’s hardly the most evil person I like.”
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(Curated by Nityanjali Bulsu, who is an intern at indianexpress.com)
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