Tucker Carlson Slams 'Incompetent' Trump For War in Iran — After Prez Labeled Conservative Commentator a 'Low IQ Person'
It appears Tucker Carlson doesn't think Donald Trump is very smart.
May 8 2026, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
The space between Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump has appeared to have widened, RadarOnline.com can reveal, as the conservative commentator has now questioned the president's intelligence.
Carlson, once a fierce supporter of Trump, has slowly done a 180 ever since the president decided to launch a war with Iran.
'Trump is incompetent'
Carlson branded Trump 'incompetent' in his latest attack against the president.
On Thursday, May 7, the former Fox News personality joined Megyn Kelly on her show to discuss the war and Trump's role in it.
"I don't think things are going well. I think they could be a lot worse," the 56-year-old said, before ripping Trump. "I think there, I can imagine other leaders who are both malicious and competent. Trump is incompetent."
Carlson then explained why Trump's incompetence is a "good thing in some ways."
He said, "I mean, (California governor) Gavin Newsom is not incompetent, and he's far more malicious than Trump. I think he's far less transparent than Trump. We just need to keep our wits about us and not ping-pong from one bad idea to another bad idea.
"There is a kind of sensible way forward where we minimize the losses, where we strengthen the country to the extent we can, where we find something that every American has in common with every other American. That would be a good start."
Tucker Carlson's Apology
Carlson joined Megyn Kelly on her show as the pair talked about Trump's failures.
The reaction was mixed to Carlson's harsh words, as one person in the comments section claimed, "He is much worse than incompetent! He is a murderer who facilitated a genocide."
Another added, "As president, he is clearly incompetent," and a third user called out Carlson, "Nothing you say as excuses for your previous trashing of Trump will hide your love of power and money."
Just last month, Carlson issued an apology for helping Trump return to the top of the helm, as he confessed he'll be "tormented for a long time" over it.
"You and I and everyone else who supported him – you wrote speeches for him, I campaigned for him – I mean, we're implicated in this for sure," he said during The Tucker Carlson Show, while speaking to his brother Buckley.
Trump Goes Off on Tucker Carlson
Carlson was once a fierce supporter of Trump but the war in Iran has changed their bond.
Carlson added at the time: "In very small ways, but in real ways, you and me and millions of people like us are the reason this is happening right now."
"... I want to say I'm sorry for misleading people. It was not intentional. That's all I'll say," the conservative mouthpiece later said.
Like anyone who has criticized him or his decisions in the past, Trump wasn't happy when Carlson pushed back against the war in Iran, taking to Truth Social to not only lash out at Carlson, but at Kelly, too.
"Tucker is a Low IQ person – Always easy to beat, and highly overrated!" he said on April 17. "So are Megyn Kelly..."
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The president recently labeled Carlson 'absolutely disgusting and evil.'
Previously, Trump ripped Carlson during a phone call, raging, "Tucker has lost his way" after Carlson called out the military operation in Iran, labeling it "absolutely disgusting and evil."
Trump then told ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl that Carlson isn't MAGA.
He went off: "MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America first, and Tucker is none of those things, and Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that."
