Tucker Carlson Betting Odds Crash On TV Anchor Become US President

Tucker Carlson is looking for a new job after being sacked by Fox News - and betting sites have dramatically cut his odds on becoming the next President of the United States.

He is one of the most high-profile media figures in America. His TV show on Fox’s cable network has set the agenda for American conservatives, and also the Republican party, for years.

Carlson’s sacking comes just days after Fox settled out of court with polling tech firm Dominion for $787m (£631m) in a defamation suit that was to focus on Fox’s representation of the company during the 2020 election.

Carlson was just one presenter on the network who has challenged the legitimacy of the 2020 election – which Donald Trump lost to Biden by almost seven million votes. 

It is understood Carlson wasn’t fired because of what he said about Dominion during post-election broadcasts, but of his criticism of Fox management.

But with a viewership of three million per night and an unabashed willingness to show his political colours, Carlson may not be out of the limelight for long. 

A string of networks are already lining up to bring him back to American television. Russia Today even publicly courted his service on Twitter. 

However, UK bookmakers are also wary that frontline politics could come calling.

Tucker Carlson US Presidential Election Betting Odds

Indeed, stranger things have happened than a high-profile news anchor running for president. How about a certain high-profile US Apprentice host? 

Carlson was once a Trump critic but eventually became his mouthpiece on Fox, and leaves the network a popular figure with is viewers.

He could well take that influence into a political career. Political betting sites reacted to his sacking by cutting Carlson’s US presidential election odds from 200/1 to 40/1 within hours. 

That still puts him some way out of Trump and Ron DeSantis - the two frontrunners to get the Republican nomination - but represents a massive leap nevertheless.

The question, then, is will Carlson look to go into politics? Possibly. According to Politico a push for the White House in 2024 “isn’t as outlandish as it sounds”. 

That’s because he could skewer the Republican primaries and earn support in the vacuum left by Trump and DeSantis’ impending battles.

Carlson could probably pick apart Trump’s record as president better than any other candidate. 

He could also feasibly attract Trump supporters who don’t want to bank on DeSantis. And he has the name recognition Trump didn’t have back in 2015.

The bookies are yet to move further on their 2024 US Presidential election odds, though. 

Right now, Carlson is priced alongside the likes of Mike Pompeo, Pete Buttigieg, Michelle Obama, Mike Pence and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to be president in 2024. Keep an eye on the markets, though, as they could move fast.

What Will Carlson Do Next?

If not politics then Carlson could well end up running his own media channel, and unshackle himself from editorial lines. 

American media figures have earned millions of dollars successfully operating their own online shows, podcasts and social media brands.

Carlson could use his Fox severance package to create his own network, and pedal his own agenda.

Trump didn’t do this when running for president in 2016, but it’s the sort of groundwork that those operating outside of frontline politics can now use to boost their profile. They can speak directly to voters and rely less on mainstream media.

Carlson has experience operating media networks, and is not shy of voicing his views. 

He also has a range of merchandise, which includes a clothing range, gold accessories, camo-coloured trinkets, and even a set of playing cards.

He is a money making machine and could use these funds to fuel a presidential campaign, as his odds on betting apps show.

For now, that looks unlikely for 2024 - although if one of Trump’s many court cases bar him from running again Carlson may sniff an opportunity. 

Bookmakers expect him to run for office eventually, but perhaps not this time.