Why does it seem like so many Republicans are trying to be Tucker Carlson these days? Because consciously or not, they are. Imitating Carlson’s playbook of explosive provocation has become the go-to move for aspiring politicians on the right.
Jason Zengerle, the outstanding New York Times Magazine Writer at Large and author of the recent analysis The Rise of the Tucker Carlson Politician, explains why this is happening and what it says about how the Republican party and media landscape have changed in the past two decades.