Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix on Wednesday night, Tucker Carlson said the “civil war” said to be happening within the Trump movement is “totally fake,” and manufactured to sideline Vice President JD Vance from the movement after President Trump retires. “Trump created this amazing coalition, bringing in people who had never voted Republican before but were very enthusiastic about him. And that coalition took over the most powerful government in the history of the world,” he explained. “So the question becomes: who gets to run it after? Who gets the machinery when the president exits the scene? And there are a lot of people in Washington, maybe even in this room, who aren’t quite sure what they want, but they know they don’t want J.D. Vance.” “They’re mad at J.D. Vance because he is the one person right now who really kind of buys the core idea of the Trump coalition,” he said. “It’s America First. It’s really simple. Which I notice some people are pretty anxious to retire that phrase. Remember when they told us that’s a bigoted phrase?” “It’s self-evident, like most true things. There is no other legitimate rationale for running our government.” “Once you realize that that’s the statement at the center of the debate, it all becomes pretty clear. Really clear, actually. It’s not an ideological debate. There’s nothing ideological about that,” Tucker Carlson said.

TUCKER CARLSON: But let me just say something more broadly about where the conservative movement-whatever that is-the people who voted for Trump, the Trump coalition, and the supposed civil war going on within that group. I don’t think it’s real. I think it’s fake. I think it’s totally fake. I don’t think-and I’ve had cause to think a lot about this because I’ve been unwittingly involved in the proxy war-there are two things going on here, and I’m not guessing. One is jockeying for position post-Trump. So Trump created this amazing coalition, bringing in people who had never voted Republican before but were very enthusiastic about him. And that coalition took over the most powerful government in the history of the world. So there’s a lot at stake here. And so the question becomes: who gets to run it after? Who gets the machinery when the president exits the scene? And there are a lot of people in Washington, maybe even in this room, who aren’t quite sure what they want, but they know they don’t want J.D. Vance. Okay? And so the attack-and you heard it from the stage tonight-there’s someone here who’s a very bad man, and he’s friends with J.D. Vance. Could be me. I am sad about being used in a proxy war over politics in which I’m not involved at any level. I’m not adviser to anybody. But I just think I should say that out loud. Okay? There are people who are mad at J.D. Vance and they’re stirring up a lot of this in order to make sure he doesn’t get the nomination. This is true. So this raises the obvious question, which is: why are they mad at J.D. Vance? Such a nice guy-which he is. They’re mad at J.D. Vance because he is the one person-and things could change, of course-but right now, who really kind of buys the core idea of the Trump coalition. Now, what is that idea, ladies and gentlemen? Anyone know? Anyone know? America First. It’s America First. It’s really simple. Which I notice some people are pretty anxious to retire that phrase. Remember when they told us that’s a bigoted phrase? Really? It is? And then they just decided to ignore it in favor of MAGA-Make America Great Again-which I’m obviously for. But how do you make America great again? By putting America first. Now, what does that mean? I’ll be more precise. It’s not a complicated concept. It’s a really simple concept. The U.S. government, the largest organization in human history with the most well-funded military in history, ought to, in all the decisions it makes, put the interests of American citizens first. That’s it! Oh, that’s creepy. Sounds kind of fascist. You’re going to invade Poland now? No. Just the opposite. In fact, the original America Firsters were kind of against wars and the current ones are too. Actually, it just means what it sounds like: the government ought to serve the people who pay for it, who elected them, in whose name the business of government is conducted. That’s all it means. Now, there are two things to know about this idea. The first is almost everyone’s for that. Like what percentage, if you polled that idea in the supposedly fractious Trump coalition that’s “in the middle of a civil war,” what percentage of people would disagree with that? Well, a few. People whose names, you know-well, that sounds like America only. No. Just America First. Simple. But like probably 95% of Trump voters would be for that. And I bet you probably 70% of people who didn’t vote for Trump would be for that. And if you calmed down and explained it to them, probably like 90%. Why? Because it’s self-evident, like most true things. And moreover-and think this through for a second-there is no other legitimate rationale for running our government. We have self-government. This is a democratic republic. It exists for our benefit. The documents were written that way. The point of the American Revolution was to make that point. And so if you’re not operating the federal government on behalf of U.S. citizens, you’re illegitimate. You actually have no right to rule. Period. And if you disagree, tell me what the other legitimate justification is. Oh, ’cause my friends, or people I agree with, or in my interest group? No. The government must-this is non-negotiable-operate on behalf of American citizens. So once you realize that that’s the statement at the center of the debate, it all becomes pretty clear. Really clear, actually. It’s not an ideological debate. There’s nothing ideological about that.

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