Tucker Carlson, the conservative media giant, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, the firebrand former member of Congress, said they had formally broken with the Republican Party.<\/p>\n
The split expands the two conservative luminaries\u2019 feud with President Trump into a broader repudiation of the party they once helped shape. Although both said they would not support Democrats, their break from the G.O.P. could exacerbate party turmoil that threatens to suppress enthusiasm, and participation, in the fall midterms. <\/p>\n
\u201cI have been a consistent defender for 35 years of the Republican Party,\u201d Mr. Carlson said during a guest appearance on the \u201cCan\u2019t Be Censored\u201d podcast that aired Thursday. \u201cIf I\u2019m out, then I think a lot of other people are out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms. Greene followed up with a social media post<\/a> saying much the same.<\/p>\n \u201cTucker is not the only one who is done supporting the Republican Party,\u201d she said Monday on X. \u201cThere is A LOT of us that are absolutely fed up and will not support a party that betrays its voters and country.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. Carlson, a former Fox News host, and Ms. Greene, a former congresswoman from Georgia, have been outspoken critics of Mr. Trump\u2019s second term, most notably over the war with Iran and their view that he is neglecting such domestic issues as inflation at a time when prices continue to rise<\/a> faster than wages.<\/p>\n Their evolution, from fixtures inside of Trump\u2019s orbit to unvarnished critics, reflects growing discord within the G.O.P. at a critical moment, as the president\u2019s low approval ratings<\/a> test the party\u2019s ability to retain control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections.<\/p>\n Kush Desai, a spokesman for the White House, said in a statement that \u201coil and gas prices \u2014 and thus overall inflation \u2014 will rapidly drop as soon as the Iran situation is resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. Carlson and Ms. Greene have embraced their new roles as disillusioned critics. Mr. Carlson, long an opponent of foreign interventions, said his break with the party had been driven by an abandonment of \u201cAmerica first\u201d principles. He has blamed Israel for pushing the White House into the war with Iran \u2014 a focus that, along with his interview of the white nationalist influencer Nick Fuentes, has drawn accusations of antisemitism, which he has denied.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not enough to say, Well, I changed my mind \u2014 or like, Oh, this is bad, I\u2019m out,\u201d Mr. Carlson said<\/a> in an episode of his podcast released in April. \u201cIt\u2019s a moment to wrestle with our own consciences,\u201d he continued, \u201cand I want to say I\u2019m sorry for misleading people.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms. Greene resigned from Congress<\/a> in January after a series of ruptures with the president.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I am cast aside by MAGA Inc and replaced by Neocons, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Military Industrial War Complex, foreign leaders, and the elite donor class that can\u2019t even relate to real Americans,\u201d Ms. Greene said in a statement<\/a> announcing her departure, \u201cthen many common Americans have been cast aside and replaced as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. Trump earlier this month dismissed an inflation report that showed prices climbing thanks in part to oil and gas costs that had soared as a result of the war in Iran. He promised that any hit to the U.S. economy would reverse quickly once the war ended, though economists are less confident.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I love it, the numbers were great,\u201d the president told reporters<\/a>. \u201cI love the inflation.\u201d<\/p>\n