Donald Trump may routinely canvass opinion on who should succeed him — Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

But conservative strategist Rick Wilson, a co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, argued in a lengthy Substack post this week that a non-politician could actually upend both perceived heirs to Trump’s MAGA kingdom.

And that is former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson.

Read the full essay on Substack.

Wilson argued that Carlson’s recent interview with The New York Times wasn’t actually an interview but “a soft campaign launch.”

Carlson is getting “out from under Trump’s shadow” with his “little jabs at the administration” and his subtle distancing of himself from Vance, who “will inherit all the negatives of Trump’s term,” Wilson suggested.

A crowded field will likely vie to take over from Trump, and Wilson argued that Carlson knows it will ultimately split.

Rubio is the “main competition” for Carlson, he said, also drawing parallels with Trump’s understanding of the media in 2015 as he outlined a potential scenario in which Carlson announces a run in the summer of 2027 and performs well in the primaries.

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.