Staff Reports
The recent candidate forum hosted by Tucker Carlson at the Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, turned out to be quite the “Tucker stress test” for the 2024 GOP candidates. And let’s just say, many of them didn’t fare too well. In fact, Carlson was like the grim reaper to their candidacies, extinguishing any hopes they may have had.
Tucker Carlson Cut Down the 2024 GOP Field With a Sickle This Week
https://t.co/rh0VSWgIQp— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 16, 2023
Take Tim Scott, Asa Hutchinson, and Mike Pence, for example. They never really had a shot at winning the nomination anyway. Hutchinson got cornered on transgender issues, which he seemed to downplay, but Carlson reminded him that it’s a significant cultural debate that cannot be ignored. And poor Pence, he got spit-roasted, particularly on his stance on the war in Ukraine. His lack of military equipment on the ground there was thoroughly dissected in front of the audience. Ouch.
https://twitter.com/KevinTober94/status/1679988494574166016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1679988494574166016%7Ctwgr%5E94f79273c75783b3a6514cc57daaa66fd6281906%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftownhall.com%2Ftipsheet%2Fmattvespa%2F2023%2F07%2F16%2Ftucker-carlson-cut-down-the-2024-gop-field-with-a-sickle-this-week-n2625777
WATCH: Tucker Carlson grills Asa Hutchinson on his veto of legislation that would protect children from permanent, life-altering hormone therapy.
ASA: "Parents ought to raise their children. Parents ought to be in control." pic.twitter.com/Si1JOZ6Q7u
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 14, 2023
This entire exchange between Tucker and Asa Hutchinson is remarkable.
Asa Hutchinson says that "permanent change is one issue, but also, hormonal change is a different issue…" pic.twitter.com/DwSCxvMeCN
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 14, 2023
TUCKER: "If I described to you a nation in which 7,000,000 people had moved without permission…they brought poison that killed over 100,000 citizens of the country into which they're moving every single year, you would say this is an invasion…! You might even say that's… pic.twitter.com/sc6cOs4WSl
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 14, 2023
Tucker presses Tim Scott on whether or not he supports sending cluster bombs to Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/3EAoNjbU5M
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 14, 2023
TUCKER: "I'm confused…The Zelensky government has arrested priests…I sincerely wonder how a Christian leader could support the arrest of Christians…"
PENCE: "I asked the Christian leader in Kiev if that was in fact happening, and he assured me it was not." pic.twitter.com/NV5BFzQ7GJ
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 14, 2023
Mike Pence asks Tucker Carlson to "respect" his opinion on Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/0TineU5MDM
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 14, 2023
Mike Pence is getting visibly frustrated with Tucker… pic.twitter.com/28cNF9HdAe
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 14, 2023
TUCKER: "You are distressed that the Ukrainians don't have enough American tanks. Every city in the United States has become much worse in the last three years…! And yet your concern is that the Ukrainians…don't have enough tanks?"
PENCE: "I've heard that routine from you… pic.twitter.com/LHjNOCDJ31
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 14, 2023
VIVEK RAMASWAMY:
"You want to know what caused January 6? Is pervasive censorship in this country in the lead-up to January 6. You tell people in this country they cannot speak, that is when they scream. You tell people they cannot scream, that is when they tear things down." pic.twitter.com/gMqPC9vNWr
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 14, 2023
Chris Christie goes on Fox to defend FBI Director Christopher Wray while House Republicans are grilling Wray him for weaponizing justice on the Hill today:
"What you saw today…was an animated and combative FBI Director who's defending the men and women who work for him every… pic.twitter.com/LrAHwjN81e
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 12, 2023
One attendee aptly described the event as a disaster for Pence’s already long-shot candidacy. It seems like his base audience, which used to be in his corner, has now turned against him. Even the head of the hosting organization, The Family Leader, was angered by Trump’s absence from the event. This gave other candidates like Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy an opportunity to gain more support in Iowa.
But let’s get back to the main event. The fiery exchange between Carlson and Pence was the most contentious of the day. Carlson, a former Trump defender turned sour, challenged, interrupted, and contradicted Pence at every turn. It was a hostile environment for the devout Christian candidate, who faced not only criticism but also jeers from what should have been a friendly audience.
The exchange exposed Pence’s difficulties in the race and highlighted the ongoing shift within the Republican Party. Traditionalists who believe in defending Ukraine and moving away from Trump’s influence found themselves at odds with Carlson and the audience’s loud and clear message: the old guard should go away.
And you know what? It’s a blessing that these candidates got roasted. Just look at Chris Christie, who wasn’t even present but sealed his fate by defending FBI Director Chris Wray. And Trump, well, his absence may have been due to a scheduling conflict, but we all know he’s the one to beat in this race. DeSantis is the only one who stands a chance of overtaking him, but his campaign has been stagnant for weeks.
The bottom line is, Carlson did us all a favor by giving a reality check to those who have no business running for president in 2024. It’s clear that their time has either expired or was never even present to begin with. Asa Hutchinson, seriously? And judging by the crowd’s reactions, especially towards Pence, it’s evident that the GOP base wants nothing to do with the old guard. It’s time for them to heed the message and gracefully step aside.
