It's over: "This is betrayal..."

The former close ally of Trump accused the US president of betraying his own voters, destroying the MAGA movement and dragging the United States into a war with Iran to serve Israeli interests.

"This is the end of the Trump era. It ended last night. It's over," Carlson said in a new episode of his programme, The Tucker Carlson Show.

He also said that Republicans had got exactly what they deserved because, in his view, they had shown contempt for the people who brought them to power.

"This was a disaster. And not just a metaphorical one, but a real disaster," Carlson said. He also argued that the Republican Party had been humiliated at the polls and would feel the consequences of the defeat for years to come.

Trump betrayed his voters

Carlson believes that Trump assembled an unusually broad coalition of voters in 2024 by promising that America and its citizens would come first. However, after returning to the White House, Carlson argues, Trump abandoned that principle and began pursuing policies that benefit other countries and political elites.

"Trump turned the Republican Party into a party that revolved entirely around him, while the only person he cared about was himself," Carlson said.

He particularly accused Trump of putting Israel's interests ahead of American interests, thereby breaking a fundamental promise he made during his election campaign.

"It is immoral for a leader to choose another country over his own. It's like denying your own children food while taking your neighbours' children to Disneyland," he said.

According to Carlson, Republicans did not lose because their voters had suddenly embraced Democratic policies. "People voted for something very specific and got exactly the opposite," Carlson continued, adding that many of Trump's supporters felt betrayed.

He also criticised his former media network. "Netanyahu was applying pressure from abroad, but within the United States, the main advocate of the war was Fox News," he added.

He singled out conservative commentators Mark Levin and Ben Shapiro, whom he considers responsible for building support for military intervention and downplaying its consequences.

"These people have not only destroyed the Republican Party but have also seriously damaged this country," Carlson said.

Carlson believes that the war with Iran was the decisive factor behind the Republican defeat, alongside rising prices and unfulfilled campaign promises. He also argued that voters had expected an end to US military interventions in the Middle East, but instead got a new war that further worsened their standard of living.

He also warned that despite losing the Republican majority in Congress, Trump remains president with broad powers over foreign policy. Carlson is concerned that following the electoral defeat, Trump could further escalate the war with Iran rather than attempt to reach an agreement.

The Epstein Files

Carlson sees one of the key reasons for the loss of confidence in Trump in his administration's handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

He believes that during the summer of last year, it became clear that the Republican administration was unwilling to fulfil its promise of full transparency.

He particularly criticised Trump's reaction to a female reporter's question about the Epstein files during a Cabinet meeting. The president expressed disbelief that Epstein was still being discussed, and Carlson believes that this demonstrated his contempt for citizens seeking answers.

"How dare you speak to me like that for asking a legitimate question about crimes that have been committed? Shut up, old man, and answer the question," Carlson said, describing how he believed Trump should have been challenged.

Carlson suspects that the documents are being withheld to protect members of the political and economic elite, although he offered no evidence to support this claim.

He called on the new Democratic majority in Congress to demand their release and demonstrate that it intends to fight corruption regardless of party affiliation.