Carlson Draws a New Red Line
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson said Friday that President Donald Trump should be removed from office “immediately” if he is actively considering first use of nuclear weapons in the Iran conflict. Carlson made the remark during a long interview with Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, who resigned from the Trump administration in protest of the war with Iran. The episode was titled “LEAKED: Pentagon Nuclear Plans Prove the US Is Out of Options,” and it included a chapter called “Should Trump Be Impeached?” Subtle as a marching band in a library, but nobody can say the branding department took the day off.
From Opposing Impeachment to Asking Why Not Now
Carlson said he had been “strongly opposed” to both of Trump’s first-term impeachments and called those efforts “absurd.” Then he said this case was different. “The second any president actively considers first use of nuclear weapons, that person should be removed from office immediately, because that’s got to be the red line, destroying all of humanity with a nuclear strike,” Carlson said. He asked why there was not an effort to remove Trump “immediately.” Carlson also said “any leader of any country who suggests first use of nuclear weapons has forfeited his right to lead,” and that anyone who tolerates that kind of talk from subordinates is “by definition unfit.”
The Claim Rests on Interpretation, Not Announced Policy
Carlson argued that Trump’s public warnings about Iran’s “total destruction” amount to an implied nuclear threat, because Carlson believes that level of damage could not be achieved with conventional weapons. He also cited reported Pentagon discussions about tactical nuclear options. That is where the story gets less like a smoking gun and more like Washington’s favorite fog machine. The administration has not announced that Trump authorized, or is preparing, a first nuclear strike against Iran. Carlson’s argument is his interpretation of Trump’s warnings and reported military planning, not an announced White House nuclear policy.
Colby Says No Declared Nuclear Policy Change
During an August 5 appearance at the United States Strategic Command Deterrence Symposium, Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby said there was no announced change to America’s declaratory nuclear policy. Colby said the administration’s goal was to give the president “credible, rational nuclear options” that would strengthen deterrence and help prevent war. In plain English, the Pentagon is doing contingency planning, which is one of the few things people expect the Pentagon to do without needing a committee, a slogan, and a commemorative lanyard. The source also notes that Russia and China are expanding their nuclear arsenals, making deterrence planning more than an academic exercise.
Kent and Carlson’s Wider Break With Trump
Kent also claimed the administration could eventually turn to nuclear weapons if conventional options against Iran failed. He resigned in March, saying Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States and accusing Israel and its American supporters of driving the conflict. Carlson’s split with Trump has been building for months. The source says Carlson and his brother discussed using the 25th Amendment against Trump in April, and Carlson apologized for helping elect him, saying he would be “tormented” by his role in Trump’s rise. Carlson later said he was leaving the Republican Party and called continued support for the GOP “immoral.” Trump responded by saying Carlson had “lost his way” and was no longer MAGA, then later blasted Carlson and other anti-war commentators as “Low IQ” troublemakers seeking publicity.
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