Published On 4/26/2026
The Wall Street Journal published a report by its White House correspondent, Philip Wegman, about prominent conservative journalist Tucker Carlson announcing his public separation from President Donald Trump, confirming in an interview with the newspaper his feeling of being betrayed as a result of the recent political orientations of the US administration.
Wegman began his report by pointing out that the Iran war was the direct cause and main motive that ended Carlson’s relationship with Trump, because Carlson, according to the report, saw in waging this war as an abandonment of the promises Trump had previously made, which created in him a deep feeling of betrayal.
Read also
list of 2 itemsend of list
He was trusted by Trump
Wegman recalls that Trump gave Carlson an unexpected introduction at the White House last January, where he directed the attention of more than a dozen oil company executives to his friend Carlson, who was sitting in the back of the East Room.
According to the report, Trump described his guest as a very famous conservative and a prominent member of the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant class.
The writer points out that the former Fox News host was at one time a close and trusted advisor to the president, which is why Trump invited him to the Oval Office to participate in a meeting that discussed plans to rebuild the Venezuelan energy industry, just days after the United States toppled the regime of Nicolas Maduro, a conflict that Carlson strongly opposed, just as he opposes the current war.
It became a dilemma
Wegman believes that Carlson is currently emerging as the most important opponent of the war on Iran, which represents a dilemma for Trump, who demands absolute loyalty. The writer believes that the friendship that lasted nearly a decade and helped shape the modern conservative movement was completely shattered as a result of this fundamental disagreement over foreign policy.
Wegman quoted Carlson as saying in the interview that he does not hate Trump as a person, but he hates this war and the path the American government is currently taking.
According to the report, Carlson had taken candidate Trump’s promises not to engage in new wars in the Middle East seriously, and now believes that the president has fallen victim to the neoconservatives and Israel.
In his speech to Wegman, Carlson wondered why the American government was unable to work in the interest of its citizens, considering that Trump ultimately proved that the existing regime was stronger than him.
Wegman:
Carlson had taken candidate Trump’s promises not to engage in new wars in the Middle East seriously, and now sees the president as a victim of neoconservatives and Israel.
He pressed for months to avoid war
The writer notes that Carlson faced severe criticism and accusations of anti-Semitism after hosting controversial figures on his podcast, and accusing American politicians of falling under inappropriate external influence.
According to the report, Carlson pressured Trump for months, secretly and publicly, to avoid war, and visited him in the White House three times for this purpose.
Wegman sets February 28 as the date for the final rift, the day the United States and Israel launched raids that killed the former leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei. Carlson now represents the anti-war faction within the “MAGA” movement, which led to an exchange of accusations, as Trump described him as weakly intelligent, while Carlson responded that Trump had become a “slave” to the neoconservatives.
Questioning “America First”
The report stated that Carlson began to question the “America First” project and believes that if this project becomes merely a personal instinct for the president rather than a set of fixed political principles, then every honest person must completely reject it because sanctifying people is a kind of political idolatry.
Wegman conveys the White House’s response through spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt, who defended Trump’s position, describing those who regret voting for him as deceitful. According to the Wall Street Journal report, Carlson, despite his rejection of Trump, confirmed his inability to vote for Kamala Harris, but his decline remains a major shift, especially since he was the one who helped choose J.D. Vance as vice president for his positions against military intervention.
Wegman reported that Carlson and Charlie Kirk tried to dissuade Trump from comprehensive military escalation, and that Carlson, who regrets his previous support for the Iraq war, believes that American interests were sacrificed, revealing that his last meeting with Trump witnessed tension due to messages accusing him of anti-Semitism, which led to a complete cessation of communication between them from that moment on.
