Tucker Carlson laid out a sweeping 10-point vision for America during a highly promoted livestream Wednesday, giving ideological shape to a breakaway faction of the MAGA movement that is openly challenging President Donald Trump.

The former Fox News host did not announce a presidential campaign or formally launch a new political party. But he presented his manifesto as the foundation for “whatever comes next,” arguing that America’s current political system has collapsed into paralysis and self-dealing.

The timing has poured fuel on speculation surrounding Carlson’s political future.

Just days earlier, Carlson hosted a gathering at his Maine home with several prominent Trump critics, including former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Thomas Massie and Joe Kent, who resigned as Trump’s counterterrorism chief in March to protest the Iran war.

Greene declared after the meeting that Trump had betrayed the anti-war voters who helped return him to the White House. Kent later said members of the group had urged Carlson to run for president in 2028, although Carlson has repeatedly insisted that he does not want to become a candidate.

What is no longer in doubt is Carlson’s desire to build something outside the Republican establishment.

In a July interview with the Columbia Journalism Review, Carlson said he intended to “help build a third party,” arguing that Republicans and Democrats had become indistinguishable on the questions he considers most important: war, money and who ultimately pays the price for both.

Wednesday’s manifesto offered the clearest look yet at what that political alternative could stand for.

Carlson’s 10-Point Vision

Carlson organized his plan around 10 qualities he said America should embody: fair, sovereign, productive, beautiful, healthy, honest, optimistic, wise, decent and united.

Under the banner of fairness, Carlson demanded equal treatment under the law for presidents, federal agents and wealthy elites. He pointed to Jeffrey Epstein and what he called an “Epstein class” as symbols of a protected ruling class that operates without the consequences imposed on ordinary Americans.

His call for sovereignty targeted several forces at once. Carlson attacked foreign lobbying, corporate control of government and predatory debt while alleging that Israel pushed the United States into war with Iran. He portrayed all of them as threats to Americans’ ability to govern themselves.

On the economy, Carlson rejected a system dominated by finance, weapons, surveillance and real estate speculation. He called instead for a revival of farming, manufacturing and skilled craftsmanship—the kind of productive work that creates tangible goods and stable communities.

Carlson also argued that the country should be beautiful and healthy. He blamed modern planners and permissive local governments for brutalist architecture, graffiti, public drug use and violent crime.

Echoing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, he called for better food, widespread sobriety and a reckoning with the use of prescription drugs such as Xanax, Adderall and SSRIs.

His honesty plank called for consequences when government officials lie to the public and for the release of most classified material, including records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the Sept. 11 attacks.

The final four points turned toward culture and national identity.

Carlson argued that having children encourages optimism and long-term thinking, while aging and childless elites are more likely to advance policies without regard for future generations.

He said schools should teach practical knowledge and enduring truths about human nature—including innate differences between men and women—instead of chasing credentials, screens and technological fads.

Under “decent,” Carlson said the United States should apologize and pay restitution when it kills innocent civilians. He also called for reversing Trump’s “Department of War” rebrand and ending support for allies that, in Carlson’s view, commit genocide—a charge he directed at Israel.

His final point, unity, included some of the plan’s toughest immigration proposals.

Carlson called for halting immigration while the country determines how artificial intelligence will affect American jobs, ending benefits for undocumented immigrants and making English the sole language used on federal documents and ballots.

From Trump Ally to MAGA Dissident

Carlson’s rupture with Trump did not happen overnight, but the Iran war turned a long-running disagreement into a public break.

Carlson has said he personally warned Trump against entering a regime-change conflict with Iran and visited the White House three times before the war began.

After U.S. forces became involved, Carlson stopped speaking with the president and accused the administration of abandoning the anti-interventionist promise at the heart of “America First.”

Trump fired back publicly in March, saying Carlson had “lost his way” and was no longer aligned with MAGA.

Carlson later told the Columbia Journalism Review that Trump was “not a man in charge of his own life,” an extraordinary attack from a commentator who had once been one of the most influential media voices in Trump’s orbit.

The divide widened over the administration’s handling of the Epstein files.

Carlson accused the government of shielding politically connected figures and used the controversy as evidence that America’s justice system protects the powerful. Massie and Greene likewise became leading critics of the administration on the issue.

Those disputes now form the backbone of the breakaway faction: opposition to foreign wars, hostility toward foreign influence and a demand that the government expose elite wrongdoing rather than conceal it.

A Movement—or a Spoiler?

The Maine gathering suggests that Carlson is no longer acting alone.

Kent said the group is exploring how to place a third-party candidate on ballots across all 50 states and build a broad coalition around an anti-war “America First” agenda.

That remains a formidable undertaking.

Carlson has not agreed to run, the emerging movement has no publicly announced party structure and Trump continues to dominate the Republican Party. A third-party bid could also split right-of-center voters and hand an advantage to Democrats in 2028.

The White House dismissed Carlson’s gathering as a collection of bitter defectors who exaggerate their own influence, while insisting that Trump remains the unquestioned leader of the GOP.

Some pro-Trump influencers were equally hostile, accusing Carlson and his allies of trying to hijack a movement they could not command.

But Carlson’s manifesto shows that the rebellion has moved beyond scattered criticism.

His coalition may still be small, yet it now has a set of ideas, a roster of recognizable Trump defectors and a political grievance built around one provocative charge: The president promised “America First,” then delivered something else.

Whether that anger produces a new party, a Tucker Carlson campaign or pressure on the Republican Party remains uncertain.

Carlson’s message Wednesday was unmistakable: The post-Trump battle for MAGA’s future has already begun.

Podcast host Joe Rogan offered a nuanced but deeply skeptical take on the growing popularity of democratic socialism during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, arguing that many young supporters are motivated by compassion but fail to appreciate the practical consequences of the policies they advocate for.

Rogan said he believes many democratic socialists genuinely want to improve society, but warned that implementing their vision would inevitably require an enormous expansion of government authority.

“The idea comes from a good place,” Rogan said. “I know in their heart of hearts they think that they’re being kind and they think they’re doing the right thing. They really do.”

“They think they’re being inclusive, they think they’re righting the wrongs of colonialism,” he continued. “And they think that this idea of democratic socialism is a really good idea, because there are some examples of socialist policies that do work, like the fire department.”

'It Always Comes Down to Power'

While acknowledging that certain publicly funded services function well, Rogan argued that broader socialist proposals inevitably run into a fundamental problem.

“The problem with enforcing any of this stuff that they don’t understand is it always comes down to power,” he said.

“You have to have massive authority, and usually guns, because you can’t just steal people’s money. They’re not going to let you.”

Rogan illustrated his point by imagining an extremely high-income tax.

“They’re not going to let you just come in and decide, ‘Hey, we devised a new tax where everybody who makes more than $500,000 a year, everything over that, you have to give 100% to the state,’” he said.

Government Is Already Too Inefficient, Rogan Says

Rogan argued that giving more resources to government would only magnify existing problems with waste and bureaucracy.

“The f*cking program that you have in place that takes the taxes and disseminates it is massively flawed and corrupt,” he said.

“It’s corrupt! It’s filled with waste. FILLED with waste.”

Pointing to California, Rogan cited reports involving billions of dollars spent on homelessness programs.

“There’s scammers all over the place,” he said. “You’ve got $24 billion missing in just the homeless [programs] in California, and then they veto the audits when everybody’s trying to find out [what happened].”

“So just saying, ‘More taxes is what we need’ is f*cking nuts!”

Democratic Socialists Gain Momentum

Rogan's comments come as democratic socialist candidates have scored a string of high-profile victories in Democratic primaries, particularly in New York.

Among the winners are Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, both members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). They were backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, himself a DSA member, as the organization continues expanding its influence in Democratic politics.

Beyond advocating socialist economic policies, the organization has criticized President Donald Trump's immigration agenda and has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, while calling for fundamental changes to American foreign policy.

The organization's growing prominence has become one of the defining internal debates within the Democratic Party.

A Growing Political Conversation

Rogan has long resisted identifying himself with either major political party, but his podcast has become one of the country's most influential political platforms, particularly among younger male voters. His comments reflect a broader debate unfolding across the political spectrum as democratic socialist candidates gain visibility while critics argue their proposals would dramatically expand the size and power of government.

The White House is firing back at Tucker Carlson and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after the pair publicly unveiled plans to build a new "America First" political party outside the GOP.

In a statement released Wednesday, the Trump administration dismissed Carlson, Greene, former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) as disgruntled former allies whose political influence is being vastly overstated.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle delivered the administration's sharpest rebuke yet of the emerging movement.

“President Trump created the greatest political movement in the history of politics with the MAGA movement, and he remains the unequivocal leader of the Republican Party,” Ingle said in a statement shared with Wired.

“The President is committed to maintaining Republican majorities in Congress and continuing to lower costs for working families. Meanwhile, this photo represents an embarrassing collection of mostly whiny turncoats who dramatically overestimate their influence and relevance.”

'The Movement Has Begun'

The White House response comes days after Greene posted a photo showing herself, Carlson, Kent, Massie and several others gathered around a dinner table topped with chocolate chip cookies and glasses of milk.

Greene made clear the meeting was more than a casual get-together.

“We said no more foreign wars and we meant it and supported Donald Trump because he made that promise. But he’s betrayed us all,” Greene wrote.

“Our commitment is America First for all Americans, right, left, and center.”

“The movement has begun.”

The gathering marked the most public sign yet that several high-profile former Trump allies are actively discussing the creation of a new political party.

A Growing Split Over Foreign Policy

Carlson has spent months arguing that both Republicans and Democrats have abandoned ordinary Americans in favor of foreign conflicts, particularly following the administration launching the Iran War.

Earlier this summer, Carlson announced he was helping build a third party, saying the existing political system no longer represented voters who oppose overseas military intervention.

That announcement came shortly after Carlson declared he would no longer support Republican candidates. Greene made a similar announcement soon afterward.

“How could I or any American voter support a political party that's not loyal to the United States?” Carlson said at the time.

“That puts the interests of a foreign country above those of its own citizens. It's not possible to vote for people like that, and I'm not going to.”

Carlson has repeatedly argued that President Trump's Middle East policies have been overly influenced by support for Israel, a claim the president has denied.

“If anything, I might've forced Israel's hand,” Trump said earlier this year when asked about the Iran War.

For now the White House appears focused on containing a budding rebellion from some of Trump's most prominent former allies;one it insists poses little threat to the president's continued dominance of the Republican Party.

Speculation over Tucker Carlson’s political future continues to build, with journalist Mark Halperin and podcast host Megyn Kelly offering dramatically different views on whether the former Fox News star will launch a third-party presidential bid in 2028—and whether such an effort could meaningfully reshape the race.

The debate unfolded on The Megyn Kelly Show, where the pair discussed recent social media posts from Carlson, former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and other former Trump allies hinting at the possibility of a new political party.

The group has become increasingly critical of President Donald Trump over issues like the Iran War, the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, and what they view as the MAGA movement's departure from its "America First" roots.

Halperin dismissed the idea that Carlson is seriously preparing a White House campaign.

“Tucker’s as likely to run for president as I am to move to India and start my cricket career,” Halperin joked. “I just don’t think it’s going to happen.”

Kelly wasn't convinced.

“Disagree,” she responded.

Halperin acknowledged Carlson could theoretically enter the race but questioned whether he would mount a serious campaign.

“Well, he might do it as a lark, but as a credible campaign, I don’t believe it,” he said. “I don’t believe the support’s there for him.”

Kelly Says Carlson May Be Serious

Kelly argued Carlson's growing frustration with the Republican Party could push him toward a bid she previously would have considered unthinkable.

“I gotta tell you, I disagree,” Kelly said. “I haven’t talked directly with him about it, but I believe Tucker’s so disgusted in the neocons and what’s happened in the Republican Party that for the first time he would consider it.”

Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent—who resigned earlier this year in protest of the administration's Iran policy—has publicly said he and others have encouraged Carlson to consider leading a new political movement.

Last week, Carlson and Greene posted a photo alongside Kent and several allies gathered around a table, declaring that "the movement has begun."

The Third-Party Challenge

Halperin argued that even if Carlson wanted to run, America's electoral system presents enormous obstacles.

“I’ve spent a lot of time on this, and starting a third party is nearly impossible in our system,” Halperin said. “It takes a lot, a lot stuff that that group doesn’t have sitting around Tucker’s house chatting in flannel.”

He pointed to the significant hurdles of securing ballot access in all 50 states and qualifying for presidential debates.

Kelly countered that Carlson wouldn't necessarily need to win outright to dramatically affect the outcome of the election.

She argued he could siphon millions of votes away from the Republican nominee and fundamentally reshape the race as a spoiler candidate.

Halperin agreed that such a scenario would pose a serious threat to the GOP—if Carlson could overcome the ballot access hurdles.

“If magically they could be on the general election ballot and in the debates, yeah, that’d be doom for the Republican Party,” Halperin said. “Doom. I mean, unequivocally.”

Kelly suggested debate qualification may be more attainable than in previous cycles because the Commission on Presidential Debates no longer controls the process.

Halperin remained skeptical.

“The Republican nominee would no sooner step on the debate stage than they would eat a bag of tacks,” he said, arguing no GOP nominee would willingly elevate Carlson by sharing a debate stage with him.

White House Fires Back

The speculation comes as Carlson prepares to make a "major announcement" on his YouTube channel Wednesday evening.

The White House has already sought to dismiss the effort.

In a statement Wednesday, spokesperson Davis Ingle blasted Carlson, Greene, and their allies as disaffected former supporters with little political relevance.

“President Trump created the greatest political movement in the history of politics with the MAGA movement, and he remains the unequivocal leader of the Republican Party,” Ingle said.

Whether Carlson ultimately launches a third-party campaign remains an open question. But even without an official candidacy, the public debate over his political future underscores the increasingly visible ideological divide within the conservative movement as Republicans begin looking toward the post-Trump era.