Tucker Carlson’s pivot away from MAGA has earned him unlikely praise, but is he being genuine?

Tucker Carlson, a far-right pundit and former Fox News host, has surprised many by criticizing President Trump's willingness to lead the US into war with Iran. Carlson's stance has earned him praise from unexpected quarters, including Democrats and critics of war. A recent interview with Senator Ted Cruz, in which Carlson challenged Cruz's unconditional support of Israel, has gone viral and been viewed 18 million times on TikTok. Carlson's criticism of Trump's actions has been seen as a departure from his usual support for the president. However, it's unlikely that Carlson has truly broken with the MAGA movement, given his history of promoting conspiracy theories and bigotry. Carlson's criticism of Trump may be motivated by a desire to provide counterprogramming to Fox News, which he feels cast him out of the mainstream. His show has seen a significant surge in popularity, jumping to No. 5 on YouTube's weekly podcast rankings and No. 2 on Spotify's podcast chart. Despite his current criticism of Trump, Carlson's past actions and statements suggest that he is not a reliable ally for those opposed to war or bigotry.