Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson is blasting the political establishment as a “one-party state posing as a democracy” — and vowing to help launch a new third-party alternative.
In an interview with the Columbia Journalism Review, Carlson said the nation’s political system is broken on the issues that matter most.
“I do know what really matters is war and finance. Where does the money come from? Where does it go? And who gets killed?” Carlson said. “On those questions, the parties are in lockstep solidarity with each other. That’s not a democracy. That’s a one-party state posing as a democracy, and it needs to be broken.”
“On war and finance, the parties are in lockstep solidarity. That’s not a democracy — that’s a one-party state posing as a democracy, and it needs to be broken.”
Carlson went further — declaring a new political movement is inevitable.
“There’s going to be a third party, and I’m going to do everything I can to bring that about,” he said.
Tucker Carlson announces plan to build a third political party:
“There should be a good-faith effort to figure out what benefits the country… If you make sixty thousand dollars a year, you’re degraded… the promise of your children’s lives is likely gone. No one seems to care.… pic.twitter.com/iZ9GcJ24s6
— AF Post (@AFpost) July 1, 2026
He pointed to what he described as alignment between President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on foreign policy as proof the system is rigged.
“If you vote for Trump and you still wind up in a regime-change war — if Chuck Schumer is strongly behind Trump’s foreign policy, which he is — then we need options, or else let’s just give up and be ruled by the most unscrupulous people,” Carlson said.
When the interviewer pressed him on what “do everything I can” means, Carlson didn’t hesitate.
“I’m going to help build a third party.”
He argued the political class has abandoned working Americans.
“There should be a good-faith effort to figure out what benefits the country. I mean, if you make sixty thousand dollars a year, you’re degraded. Your life expectancy has gone down, and the promise of your children’s lives is likely gone. No one seems to care,” Carlson said.
“If you make sixty thousand dollars a year, you’re degraded. Your life expectancy has gone down, and the promise of your children’s lives is likely gone. No one seems to care.”
Tucker Carlson says he intends to help build a third party, describing the U.S. as a “one-party state posing as a democracy.” pic.twitter.com/aIWqmmgh3p
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) July 1, 2026
When asked whether he would run as a candidate for the proposed third party, Carlson shut it down.
“I don’t want to be a candidate.”
He joked that ahead of a previous interview with The New York Times, someone warned him the paper would ask if he’s running for president. Carlson said he was tempted to say, “I am running — on the pro-patriarchy ticket. Just to make sure I gain no new fans.”
The announcement comes after Carlson declared on a June 18 episode of the “Can’t Be Censored” podcast that he is “done” with the Republican Party. He said there is “no chance” he would support the GOP in the 2026 midterms — and no support for Democrats either.
Carlson, who described himself as a “consistent defender” of the Republican Party for 35 years, accused the GOP of going in the “wrong direction.”
