Did Tucker Carlson Vote for Kanye West?
Tucker Carlson, whos maintained a prickly relationship with Donald Trump over the years, reportedly told associates he voted for rap superstar Kanye West for president in 2020. Some suggested the Fox News star was only joking, but Politico suggests otherwise. Carlson allegedly made the stunning confession to some of his program guests after the November election, two sources told Politico. Its his way of saying that hes not just another Trumpette at Fox News like Sean Hannity, one source told the political news website. The New York Times' left-wing media critic Ben Smith recently reported that Carlson had been badmouthing both Trump and Fox colleague Hannity to members of the press on an "off the record" basis. Smith wrote that Carlson was the go-to guy for sometimes-unflattering stories about Donald J. Trump.  If such media reports are true, its another indication Fox News and its number one rated host are veering away from its support of the former president to adopt a more establishment platform  a move that has jolted many conservatives. Carlson, a registered Republican, once lavishly praised Trump as the ideal candidate to fight Washington corruption.  But he became more and more critical of the Trump administration in the months leading up to last November's controversial election in which Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden. And since Biden assumed the presidency, Carlson largely has ignored any discussion of Trump on his show. Another source who knows Carlson told Politico the Fox host said before the election that he was planning to cast his ballot for West, a conservative who frequently visited Trump at the White House to show his support. Carlson and West, the flamboyant hip-hop performer and ex-husband of Kim Kardashian, get along. They both regularly find themselves in the crosshairs. Theyre both pro-life, the source told Politico. Carlson, who has denied rumors he is interested in running for president himself in 2024, had no comment on his reported vote for West when approached by Politico. West, after a long political flirtation with Trump, announced he was running for president, but lost his bid to make the ballot in Florida. While Carlson was silent when asked about his 2020 vote, he has made flattering comments about West in the past, even comparing him favorably to Trump. Much like someone else who comes to mind, West may be precisely crazy enough to think for himself, and thats a valuable quality right now, Carlson once said. Carlsons alleged snub of Trump at the polls is really no surprise. He admitted to Business Insider in 2017 that he had not voted for Trump in 2016 when the billionaire trounced Hillary Clinton.