GOP’s 2024 Candidates Should Avoid Tucker Carlson

A lot has changed since March, when RealClearPolitics reporter Philip Wegmann first revealed that then–Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson had been tapped to host a GOP presidential candidates’ forum in Iowa. The events that transpired in the interim should have convinced most of the Republican Party’s presidential aspirants to rethink their association with Carlson. Unfortunately, they did not.

The forum that is set to take place this Friday will feature at least five GOP candidates: Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott, and Mike Pence. Donald Trump has decided to avoid the event, according to Iowa-based Republican kingmaker Bob Vander Plaats, the president and CEO of the event’s host, the conservative Christian FAMiLY Leader organization.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

Featured Tags

A lot has changed since March, when RealClearPolitics reporter Philip Wegmann first revealed that then–Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson had been tapped to host a GOP presidential candidates’ forum in Iowa. The events that transpired in the interim should have convinced most of the Republican Party’s presidential aspirants to rethink their association with Carlson. Unfortunately, they did not.

The forum that is set to take place this Friday will feature at least five GOP candidates: Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott, and Mike Pence. Donald Trump has decided to avoid the event, according to Iowa-based Republican kingmaker Bob Vander Plaats, the president and CEO of the event’s host, the conservative Christian FAMiLY Leader organization.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.