Republican pollster Frank Luntz said that his recent feud with Tucker Carlson is due to Carlson’s presidential aspirations.
“I think Tucker is running for president,” Luntz told the New York Times podcast “Sway” Thursday. Carlson, who co-founded the Daily Caller, reported Monday that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy rents a room from Luntz in the pollster’s Washington, DC apartment.
Carlson alleged that McCarthy’s living arrangement violates House ethics rules on receiving gifts, since Luntz previously worked for Google.
Luntz denied any violation in the interview. “I’m not a lobbyist. I’ve worked through Google on language. I don’t advocate for them,” he said.
Professor and GOP consultant Frank Luntz speaks to students with the US secretary of state at the NYU Abu Dhabi campus in Abu Dhabi on January 13, 2019. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
“Tucker realizes that he can make any accusation he wants to make, and that cadre, because he’s very popular among a certain segment of conservatism. I think Tucker is running for president. And I think that’s what he’s going to do. And I think he’s going to try to demonize and destroy anyone who might stand up against him. And that’s all that this is,” Luntz claimed.
Carlson recently clashed with the Biden administration after the host criticized what he viewed as an excessive focus on diversity issues in the armed forces. Carlson expressed concern that such a focus could detract from military readiness. (RELATED: US Military Launches Coordinated Strikes Against American TV Host)
The British oddsmaker Paddy Power gave Carlson a 50 to 1 chance to win the 2024 presidential election in December. He received 3% support in the 2021 CPAC straw poll. Carlson has denied interest in running for office on multiple occasions.