Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson's son is leaving Vice President JD Vance's communications team to move into the private sector, amid growing tensions between his father and President Trump.
Buckley Carlson, who served as deputy press secretary for Vice President JD Vance since the beginning of President Trump's second term, decided to leave his position to found his own political consulting firm. He joins a group of former White House staff members transitioning to the private sector.
While leaving an administration is not uncommon during presidential terms, the timing has drawn attention as it coincides with the increasingly public rift between President Trump and Tucker Carlson, who was once a staunch supporter.
President Trump has recently launched repeated attacks on Tucker Carlson on social media, calling him "low IQ" and "highly overrated," while also bringing up Tucker's dismissal from Fox News.
Meanwhile, for months, Tucker Carlson has publicly criticized the Trump administration, particularly regarding the conflict with Iran. He has avoided mentioning President Trump directly by name but has blamed his allies, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Tucker also stated that he had tried to convince President Trump not to enter the war.
Conversely, President Trump once called Tucker "weird" after he criticized military operations like Operation Midnight Hammer targeting Iran.
Recently, President Trump has shown support for host Mark Levin during internal debates within conservative media, siding against Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Candace Owens.
In an interview with the BBC, Tucker Carlson said he was "horrified" by President Trump's remarks about the possibility that "an entire civilization could disappear overnight" if Iran did not reach a deal.
He further told Newsmax that he still has affection for President Trump but believes Trump "is not making his own decisions" and is "being controlled by other forces."
The news of Buckley Carlson leaving the administration was first reported by Politico, which stated he had planned to leave his position since last year but stayed on for several extra months to assist with the transition for Vice President JD Vance's team.
Prior to working for JD Vance, Buckley Carlson served as deputy chief of staff for Congressman Jim Banks in 2019.
