Why Melania Trump Reportedly Wants Tucker Carlson To Be Donald's Running Mate
Former First Lady Melania Trump has long played the supportive wife to her husband, Donald J. Trump, often appearing by his side smiling, and rarely ever voicing loud opinions. As the former president gears up for another run for the White House, however, an unnamed source tells Axios that Melania has made her opinion known when it comes to who she believes would make the best running mate for her husband.
Melania reportedly feels that former Fox News star Tucker Carlson would be the best choice for Trump's Vice President because of his powerful onstage presence. Though Carlson was ousted by the network earlier this year, he has since been hosting interviews via X (formerly Twitter) and recently interviewed Trump himself on the platform. Carlson has also announced that he will be running his own subscription service on which he will be conducting more interviews, including talks with republican candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Trump (via The Telegraph).
If Melania gets her way, this partnership would be a particularly interesting one, considering the intense animosity that once dominated the relationship between Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson.
The Trump/Carlson feud
Donald Trump teaming up with Tucker Carlson, while it seems like a possibility now, once would have seemed laughably unlikely; though both men are popular amongst American conservatives, their behind-the-scenes relationship has been anything but rosy.
In private text messages that came to light in March 2023, Tucker Carlson said of Trump: "What he's good at is destroying things. He's the undisputed world champion of that" (via The New York Times). Carlson also said of Trump's presidency coming to an end, "We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I truly can't wait," and "I hate him passionately."
Upset by the news that Carlson had said so many unkind things behind his back, Trump reportedly called Carlson directly to discuss what had come to light (via Business Insider). Speaking on WABC's "Bo Snerdley's Rush Hour" in March 2023, Tucker Carlson admitted that when he had sent the text messages in question, it was because in that moment, he "was absolutely infuriated." However, Carlson then asserted that he had "spent four years defending" Trump's policies and even said he would defend them again. He backtracked on his original feelings so far as to say, "I love Trump, like as a person. I think Trump is funny and insightful ... And I said this to Trump when he called me, you know, all wounded about those texts."
Now that the feud is ended, will Carlson run?
Now that the animosity appears to have been put to bed, Donald Trump says that he would consider Tucker Carlson as a running mate (via The Hill). Speaking to "The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show" in November of 2023, Trump answered whether he would ever invite Carlson to run with him as Vice President, saying, "I think I'd say I would, because he's got great common sense."
But would Carlson accept the invitation if it came his way?
Speaking to Megyn Kelly in December 2023, Tucker Carlson said that he isn't sure he is "really suited" for the role of Vice President (via The Daily Beast). Carlson elaborated that, "I haven't led a life that prepares a person for politics." He further shared, "It's just that that's not how my brain works. I've never done anything like that. I can't imagine spending time with politicians," which is an interesting statement, considering he has spent his career interviewing politicians. Only time will tell who will end up being Trump's running mate, but as of now, it is far from certain that Carlson would be the top choice (for anyone besides Melania, anyway).