Stephen A. Smith Confronts Tucker Carlson Over His Trump Flip-Flops and ‘Many Pivots’: ‘How Do You Answer That?’

Stephen A. Smith pressed Tucker Carlson on his political “pivots” and his flip-flops on President Donald Trump, to which Carlson admitted he’s “wrong a lot.”

Carlson joined Smith on Wednesday for the Straight Shooter show, where Smith at one point noted Carlson’s roller-coaster relationship with Trump. Over the years, Carlson has gone from a vocal Trump critic to a loyal supporter, only to arrive back as a critic again.

Smith noted that back in 2021, Carlson wrote that he “passionately” hated Trump, referring to a private text message that was reported on and Carlson acknowledged he sent.

“You later supported him in 2024. So here’s the question: Why should listeners see this latest break as principle rather than another pivot on your side, on your part? How do you answer that?” Smith asked.

Carlson was open during the interview about “pivots” he’s made in his political beliefs, and for Trump, the conservative commentator said he noticed a 180-degree difference in him after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania in July 2024.

Carlson said:

Well, I’ve had many, many pivots and I’ve already explained two of them. You know, I was wrong because I’m wrong a lot, you know? I guess, I mean, I flatter myself and say I’m not wrong a lot, but I certainly am wrong sometimes and wrong on big things. I was on wrong on Trump and I was wrong on the Iraq war and I’m sure a million other things. But anyway, I don’t know what to say. People can judge whether I’m sincere or not. I don’t really know what I’m getting out of this, actually. I get really nothing out of any of it. And I’m not going to whine and say I’ve lost a lot, but some, including friendships. So I don’t really know what my motive would be, but if I can’t convince people, I can’t. But I’m just telling you, I happened to be there and was pretty close and saw a lot of stuff that is like so bad for this country. It’s such a total betrayal.

He continued by saying he decided Trump was the best choice for the Republican Party as he saw him as a “challenge” for the party.

Carlson said:

I decided that Trump was the option to the Republican leadership and the Democratic leadership. He wasn’t a Republican. He was a challenge to the Republicans. He came from outside the system. This was how I thought of it. And as they tried to put him in jail and shoot him and all this stuff, I was like, see, it’s totally real. You know, it’s not a fake thing. I mean, they’re trying to put them in jail. That’s what I thought, and I still kind of think that, but somewhere along the line, after that Butler shooting in Pennsylvania in July of 2024, he changed like 180 degrees and started doing things that he ran against doing. And so, like, you tell me what that is. I don’t know. I don’t think Trump’s a great actor. I don’t think he was lying before. I think something changed him.

Watch above via Straight Shooter. 

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