Tucker Carlson’s Kid Quits JD Vance’s Team Amid Pundit’s Growing Feud With Trump

American Vice President JD Vance speaks during the rally on the Day of American-Hungarian, ahead of the Hungarian parliamentary election, in Budapest, Hungary on April 7, 2026. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via AP)
Tucker Carlson’s son Buckley Carlson has left his job as deputy press secretary for Vice President JD Vance, Politico reported on Saturday.
The younger Carlson is launching his own political consulting firm after leaving the White House, senior national correspondent Adam Wren reported. An official tied to Vance told Wren “Buckley first informed the VP’s office of his intention to depart in December, but stayed on for several months to ensure a smooth transition.”
His exit comes after his dad and President Donald Trump have been locked in an ongoing feud, with the elder Carlson criticizing the president for the Iran war.
Tucker Carlson reportedly met with Trump multiple times at the White House leading up to the launch of Operation Epic Fury and was one of the “few voices lobbying against military action” in Iran, according to The New York Times.
“He outlined the risks to U.S. military personnel, energy prices and Arab partners in the region if the United States went to war with Iran,” The Times reported on March 2. “He told the president that he should not be boxed in by Israel, arguing that its desire to attack Iran was the only reason the United States was even considering a strike. He encouraged Mr. Trump to restrain [Benjamin] Netanyahu.”
His pitch clearly didn’t dissuade the president, and Carlson has ripped the operation since then, claiming it is being “waged” strictly on behalf of Israel.
Carlson also called the joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “absolutely disgusting and evil.”
Trump has punched back at Carlson a few times over the last month. He called Carlson “low IQ” earlier in April and followed that up by saying Carlson and other commentators like Megyn Kelly were “NUT JOBS.” He kept it up last week, calling Carlson a “LOSER.”
Right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro — who has his own feud with Carlson going — argued last week you have to “feel a little bit bad” for Vance because Carlson “helped” him become vice president. But he said Vance has to stop “honoring garbage” like Carlson because it is threatening to blow up the conservative coalition needed to win in the midterms and in 2028.
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