Tucker Carlson: Trump Should Be Removed From Office ‘Immediately’

Conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson is calling for President Donald Trump’s removal from office, tying the demand directly to the administration’s posture on Iran and nuclear weapons. The comments mark another escalation in the public split between Trump and one of the MAGA movement’s former loudest voices.

What Carlson actually said

Carlson said Friday that President Trump should be removed from office if he is considering using nuclear weapons first, saying even entertaining the possibility should disqualify a president from serving.

Carlson, a former longtime supporter of Trump who has shifted into an increasingly vocal critic, framed the remarks around what he described as the prospect of the U.S. military initiating the use of nuclear weapons in the war with Iran. He made the comments during a conversation with Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center who resigned earlier this year in opposition to the war with Iran.

The nuclear ‘red line’ argument

Carlson said any president who even considers a first strike has crossed a line that should trigger removal, noting he opposed both prior impeachment efforts against Trump. He called those previous impeachment attempts “absurd,” but said the possibility of a president considering the first use of nuclear weapons crosses a “red line.”

Trump has not publicly said he is considering using a nuclear weapon first. Still, Carlson pushed the argument further by pointing to Pentagon planning. Earlier this month, Under Secretary of Defense for policy Elbridge Colby said at a conference that officials are looking to give the president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “credible, rational nuclear options.”

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The MAGA fracture widens

Trump and Carlson, who was once an ally of the MAGA movement and of Trump, have clashed in recent months over their opposing views on foreign policy, with Carlson being a vocal opponent of the Iran war.

Trump last week bashed Carlson on Truth Social, calling him a “loser” for meeting with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Trump calling out his former allies comes as he’s facing negative approval ratings among many Americans, particularly over his handling of the Iran war. In recent months, his coveted endorsement has also been stress-tested in primaries across the nation as voters consider the economic impacts of a second Trump administration. That’s ahead of the midterms, which are typically low points for presidencies.

Why traders should care

Nuclear rhetoric, Iran escalation risk, and a widening intra-GOP fight are all inputs that hit oil, defense names, and risk assets directly. Any hint of expanded conflict tends to bid crude and defense contractors while pressuring broad equity indices, particularly consumer-facing names.

Watch headline risk into the midterm window, where political noise around Trump’s foreign policy is likely to intensify. Check other news for updates on the Iran situation and Pentagon posture.

Options market and stocks to watch

Watch for flow and volatility in the following names as this story develops:

• LMT: Watch defense contractors for bid on any Iran escalation headlines.
• RTX: Missile and munitions exposure keeps this tied to Middle East risk.
• XOM: Energy majors typically catch a bid on Gulf tension and supply risk.
• USO: Crude-linked ETF to watch for direct oil price reaction.
• SPY: Broader index for risk-off flows if political and geopolitical rhetoric heats up.

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