David Pakman

So a lot of creators say, I don't need that grief.

A lot of creators say, I don't want the pay cut.

And then a lot of creators also say that I talk to.

I have a lot of soft power right now.

All these governors and senators and members of Congress, they come to me, they want me to interview them.

I have a lot of power right now.

Why would I trade all of that soft power for a little bit of more formal power?

Now, member of Congress is one thing.

Senator is another thing.

President is a different thing altogether.

And that is a different calculus.

But that doesn't change that as a media figure, Tucker can mostly do whatever he wants.

He can shape narratives.

He influences millions.

He can do it without being tied down

by the government schedule, the accountability, the compromise.

And there's no doubt that running for office would limit some of Tucker Carlson's freedom and force him into this kind of system where he has to give up a lot of that soft power

and exchange it for concrete decisions and take positions that can be challenged.

So listen, I don't really know whether Tucker's intent is to run or not.

American politics used to draw kind of a sharper line between who could or couldn't do this.