'Not a chance in hell': Bill O'Reilly blisters idea of a Tucker Carlson running for president
06 July 2022
Former Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly may be a conservative Republican but he stopped short of supporting the possibility of Tucker Carlson entering a bid to run for the Republican primaries in 2024. Speaking to Newsmax host Eric Bolling, O'Reilly was asked his opinion about the idea of Carlson running for president.
After a long pause, Bolling broke the silence by simply saying, "Speechless." In response, O'Reilly said, "You want me to reply to that, Bolling? Or is this a flight of fancy on your part?"
He went on to share an unfiltered take on the possibility. "Look, if Mr. Carlson wants to leave his extremely lucrative position at Fox News and run for president, then more power to him," said O'Reilly when he appeared on Bolling's show, "The Balance," on Tuesday.
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He added, "But there's that, number one, he will do it, and number two, that he could succeed."
O'Reilly's remarks follow the previous speculation about the possibility of Carlson running for office. According to Newsweek, the idea garnered attention following the release of a report published by Politico that centered on the "discussions around 'Carlson 2024', suggesting the Fox host - who is a darling of the right - could stand a chance in the GOP primaries."
However, Carlson dismissed the discussions and confirmed he has no intent on running for president. O'Reilly also offered insight about who he would support in 2024 as he admitted that he would throw his support behind former President Donald Trump again. Speaking of Trump, O'Reilly said that he "does want to run for president, has enough money to do it, and would be the odds-on favorite to win if he does."
O'Reilly also said while he does believe Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) would be a top contender for Trump, "it would be 'foolish' to try to 'primary Trump.'"
"He's going to get reelected in Florida in November," O'Reilly said of the Florida governor, adding, "He's a relatively young man, four years is not a long period of time in politics."