Tucker Carlson Addresses Audience as Rift With Donald Trump Deepens

Tucker Carlson told his podcast audience he owes them an apology, saying he regrets misleading supporters who followed his lead in backing Donald Trump. The remarks mark a significant break from a figure who once stood at the center of Trump’s political orbit.

Carlson made the comments on Monday’s episode of The Tucker Carlson Show during a conversation with his brother, Buckley Carlson. The discussion was framed as a moment of reflection rather than a routine political disagreement, The Daily Mail reported.

He described the shift as a matter of conscience. He said the divide was not simply about policy differences but about personal responsibility.

The apology follows weeks of escalating tension between Carlson and Trump. The dispute began over Carlson’s opposition to U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and intensified after Trump responded with a series of personal attacks.

What started as a policy disagreement has evolved into a broader split. Both men have now publicly distanced themselves from one another.

Carlson acknowledged that he and others played a role in Trump’s political rise. “You wrote speeches for him, I campaigned for him. I mean, we’re implicated in this, for sure,” he said.

He said distancing himself now is not enough. “It’s not enough to say, ‘Well I changed my mind,’ or like, ‘Oh this is bad, I’m out,’” he said.

Carlson added that many supporters share responsibility for the current situation. “It’s like in very small ways, but in real ways, you and me and millions of people like us are the reason this is happening right now,” he said.

He described the moment as one that requires reflection. “So I do think it’s like a moment to wrestle with our own consciences,” he said.

Carlson said he expects the issue to stay with him. “You know, we’ll be tormented by it for a long time,” he said.

He then issued a direct apology to his audience. “I will be, and I want to say I’m sorry for misleading people, and it was not intentional. That’s all I’ll say,” he said.

Carlson’s comments come as several right-leaning commentators have also criticized Trump over the Iran conflict. Those voices include Megyn Kelly, Alex Jones and Candace Owens.

In recent days, Carlson has gone further in his criticism. He raised concerns about Trump’s social media posts that featured AI-generated religious imagery.

Carlson pointed to a Truth Social post showing Trump depicted alongside Jesus. He said the imagery aligns with warnings described in the Bible.

He referenced passages that describe a future figure who exalts himself above God. Carlson said those descriptions raise questions about Trump’s actions.

“He will pose as God,” Carlson said. “He will mock other Gods, and put himself in their place,” he said.

Carlson suggested that some Christians may see parallels. “To a lot of Christians, these predictions in both the Old and New Testaments seem to fit what we are watching,” he said.

He then posed a question about the implications. “Could this be the antichrist?” he said.

Trump has responded with a series of public attacks on Carlson and other critics. In posts on Truth Social, he dismissed them in blunt terms.

“I know why Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones have all been fighting me for years,” Trump wrote. “Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs,” he said.

He continued his criticism in the same post. “They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too! … They’ve all been thrown off Television… they’re NUT JOBS, TROUBLEMAKERS,” he said.

Days later, Trump escalated his remarks further. He called Carlson a “LOSER” and suggested he “should see a good psychiatrist,” he said.

The public feud reflects a broader divide within conservative media circles. It also signals a shift in relationships that once defined a major part of Trump’s political support base.