Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin/Alex Brandon/AP
By Matthew Robinson
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President Donald Trump has celebrated a favorability rating win over former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, describing the conservative media figure as a "low IQ person."
In a post on Truth Social, Trump referenced a clip from CNN showing that Carlson's net favorability among Republicans had fallen sharply since March 2024, while his own numbers remain high.
Trump wrote in the post on Friday, "Tucker is a Low IQ person - always easy to beat, and highly overrated!!!"
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He went on to target other conservative media personalities that have spoken out against the Iran war.
"So are Megyn Kelly, 'Candace' (Really Dumb and mentally ill!), and Bankrupt Alex Jones, who is completely 'fried.' There are others, also!
"Then we have some that are VERY GOOD, true MAGA all the way, and smart. I should do a list of good, bad, and somewhere in the middle. Wouldn't that be fascinating???"
Polling on Trump and Tucker
The poll cited by CNN, conducted by UMass Lowell's Center for Public Opinion, showed that 77 percent of Republicans had a favorable view of Trump, while 16 percent viewed him unfavorably, giving him a net favorable score of +61 points.
That same poll found that 31 percent of Republicans had a favorable opinion of Carlson, while 24 percent viewed him unfavorably, giving him a net favorable score of +7 points.
The poll was carried out between March 26 and March 30, surveying 1,000 American adults. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.05 percentage points.
Why It Matters
The rupture between Trump, Carlson and other media figures has intensified into one of the most visible splits within the MAGA movement, namely over wars in the Middle East and Trump’s relationship with Israel.
Carlson, who has often been a key Trump ally, has sharply criticized the administration’s rhetoric and military posture, calling Trump’s language on Iran “vile on every level.”
Trump has responded with attacks on social media, dismissing Carlson and grouping him with other conservative critics he has branded “troublemakers” and “nut jobs.”
The public dispute reflects a broader fracture in American conservatives over Trump’s Middle East policy, particularly among isolationists who oppose deeper military involvement.
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Has Tucker Responded?
Tucker has not yet responded to Trump’s post citing the CNN net favorability numbers, but he previously issued a statement in response to another Trump lash out on social media, calling the president a “slave” who “can’t make his own decisions.”
"I’ve always liked Trump and still feel sorry for him, as I do for all slaves,” Carlson told Newsmax earlier this month. “He’s hemmed in by other forces. He can’t make his own decisions. It’s awful to watch."
Those comments came after Trump posted on Truth Social about Tucker, Owens, Kelly and Jones, saying, “They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too! Look at their past, look at their record. They don’t have what it takes, and they never did!”
“They’ve all been thrown off Television, lost their Shows, and aren’t even invited on TV because nobody cares about them, they’re NUT JOBS, TROUBLEMAKERS, and will say anything necessary for some ‘free’ and cheap publicity.”
Carlson then launched a new line of merchandise, for all “nut jobs, troublemakers, and third rate podcasters.”
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