Tucker Carlson has launched a new line of merchandise in response to a lengthy social media tirade from Donald Trump, marking the latest escalation in a deteriorating relationship between the president and his former media allies.
The Tucker Carlson Network began advertising baseball caps bearing the phrase “LOW IQ” on Friday, directly co-opting an insult used by Trump in a Truth Social post the previous afternoon.
The advertisement for the apparel was captioned: “Calling all nut jobs, troublemakers, and third rate podcasters! New merch just dropped.”
The move follows a roughly 500-word Truth Social rant from the president on Thursday, in which he targeted Carlson alongside other prominent right-wing figures including Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones. Trump labeled the group “losers,” “stupid people” and “nut jobs,” specifically attacking their opposition to his administration’s recent military operations against Iran.
“I know why Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones have all been fighting me for years,” Trump wrote, claiming the group possessed “Low IQs” and suggesting Carlson should “see a good psychiatrist.”
The hostility marks a significant departure from the 2024 campaign trail, during which Carlson was a frequent and fervent supporter of the president. At the Republican National Convention, Carlson famously declared that Mr. Trump had transcended his role as a nominee to become “the leader of a nation.”
But the relationship has long been volatile behind the scenes. During the Dominion Voting Systems defamation trial, internal messages revealed Carlson, then a Fox News anchor, had described Trump as a “destroyer” and “evil,” stating at one point, “I hate him passionately.”
The latest split appears driven by Trump’s foreign policy, particularly his threats of escalated conflict in the Middle East. Carlson has recently intensified his rhetoric, using his Friday morning newsletter to suggest the president may be influenced by outside interests, while previously offering critiques that some observers interpreted as questioning Trump’s moral character.
Other figures targeted in the president’s post have also hit back.
Candace Owens, who has expressed embarrassment over her previous support for the president, suggested on X that it “may be time to put Grandpa up in a home.”
Alex Jones, whose InfoWars platform was an early vehicle for Trump’s political rise, released a video claiming the president has been “totally changed” by “demonic influences.”
The public clash shows a widening rift in the MAGA movement, with Trump lashing out at the media figures who were key to his return to the White House.
Despite the fallout, the president insisted he hasn't lost his base, pointing to a claim of a 100 percent approval rating from people identifying as MAGA supporters on CNN.
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