(Headline USA) The impromptu movement to draft Tucker Carlson as a Republican presidential contender fizzled after Carlson on Saturday disavowed it as “fruitless” via his attorney, Harmeet Dhillon.
As Tucker’s attorney, I can unequivocally state that this PAC is unauthorized, that the people running it didn’t get his permission to use his name/likeness, and that it would be fruitless to contribute to such a PAC. https://t.co/JvJfQopGij
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) May 21, 2023
The PAC released a statement saying it had pulled its ads from Newsmax after Dhillon requested that it cease all activity on Carlson’s behalf.
Charlie Kolean, the PAC’s executive director, expressed his disappointment, while maintaining that Carlson’s presence in what promises to be a crowded GOP field would only benefit the discussion as Republicans face unprecedented challenges in opposing institutionalized leftist extremism.
“We hoped that a Tucker candidacy would open the Overton Window to the Right.”
Kolean said.
“We wish Tucker the best & profoundly hope he will not be silenced in this
crucial presidential cycle,” Kolean added. “We consider Tucker Carlson to be the heir of Fearless Rush Limbaugh who never backed down from defending his people.”
Original story below:
(Mark Pellin, Headline USA) A political action committee that was formed in the wake of Tucker Carlson’s ouster from Fox News launched with an ad encouraging him to run for president, and it’s slated to debut on one of the network’s chief conservative competitors.
“Tucker Carlson has demonstrated time and again his firm commitment to conservative principles,” Charlie Kolean, executive director of the Draft Tucker PAC, said in an email obtained by Headline USA. “His sharp insight, robust dedication to the truth, and courageous stands on critical issues set him apart in a field of potential contenders.”
The ad, which is reportedly set to run for a week on Newsmax, leans into Carlson’s massive popularity and support with a conservative base, along with his reputation for holding the DC Swamp and deep state accountable.
“Republicans need a new leader, and Tucker Carlson is ready to lead. No one in America is more articulate and pins down leftists in both parties better than Tucker,” proclaims the ad, which compares Carlson to the late conservative giant Rush Limbaugh.
“Tucker Carlson is witty, sharp, and mocks woke nonsense,” the ad says. “Tucker will whip Biden in a debate.”
Carlson has made no public comment on a presidential run, but his skyrocketing popularity since his split with Fox would likely make most of the already-announced GOP contenders salivate with envy. Carlson’s video release on Twitter last month hinting at his future plans drew staggering numbers, and his announcement about plans for a new show on the social media titan was well received.
That positive public reception springs from what Kolean called “Carlson’s authentic conservatism,” which combined with “his unprecedented reach among Republican voters make him a uniquely compelling candidate.”
Chris Ekstrom, a former Texas congressional candidate and GOP donor who chairs and financially backs the Draft Tucker PAC, told The Hill that a presidential run is a “realistic opportunity” that could pull the GOP primary further to the Right.
“I’m very concerned that they’re going to not move the debate as far right as it ought to be,” Ekstrom said of the current crop of contenders.
“If Tucker Carlson entered the race in a reasonable amount of time and just continued in the same territory that he was covering at Fox, I think that’d be a rude awakening for both President Trump and Governor DeSantis.”
