Democratic strategist James Carville and the media are saying that Tucker Carlson has become the most influential voice in President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet selections and is a key part of the upcoming administration, which takes control on January 20th.
The claims come as the former Fox News host conducts his second high-profile interview in Moscow this year.
“One person is driving this, I promise you. And it’s Tucker Carlson,” Carville said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “The Beat” with Ari Melber.
Carville pointed to Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel to lead the FBI as evidence of Carlson’s powerful influence in shaping the incoming administration.
“Kash Patel was Tucker’s business partner,” Carville said. “Tucker is 40 times more clever than Steve Bannon. He’s 40 times more connected. He’s also very connected with Elon Musk and everything else.”
If confirmed, Patel would replace current FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term expires in 2027. Incoming administrations are able to dismiss FBI directors, which is expected to happen to Wray.
Patel has previously advocated for mass firings at the Justice Department and FBI and backed Trump during his impeachment investigation. He has called for stripping security clearances from officials who investigated Trump in 2016.
Carlson’s influence in the incoming Trump administration has ruffled feathers in the media. Carville linked Carlson directly to Trump’s selection of Elon Musk to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.), noting Carlson’s connections to the tech billionaire who contributed millions to Trump’s campaign.
“He’s a very bright man who should not be underrated,” Carville said of Carlson. “I think he has more influence in this current administration, way more than Vernon Jordan had in the Clinton administration or any of the kind of wise men that were around.”
The Trump transition team has not commented on Carlson’s alleged role in cabinet selections. Carville, who noted his past friendship with Carlson, emphasized that the former Fox News host’s influence “proves that beyond any doubt at all.”
As these claims circulated, Carlson announced his return to Moscow to interview Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, following his February interview with President Vladimir Putin which drew criticism throughout the mainstream media.
“We came back to Moscow yesterday to interview the Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, the longest-serving foreign minister in the world,” Carlson said in a video post on X.
We’re back in Moscow. Here’s why. pic.twitter.com/7FfBhcaIUu
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) December 3, 2024