Tucker Carlson's attorney has said that the wildly popular political commentator will "not run for president in 2024 under any circumstances."
The announcement came in a cease and desist letter sent to a political action committee that was formed to draft Carlson to run for the White House.
Carlson’s lawyer Harmeet Dhillon sent the letter to the Draft Tucker PAC on Monday.
“Mr. Carlson will not run for President in 2024 under any circumstances, and therefore your misrepresentations are damaging to Mr. Carlson and defrauding his supporters,” Dhillon wrote in the letter obtained by The Hill. “If you do not immediately cease and desist your efforts to solicit money to ‘draft’ Mr. Carlson, we will use every legal means at our disposal to vindicate his rights and protect his supporters from these misrepresentations.”
The report adds that Dhillon told the PAC that they did “not have Mr. Carlson’s permission or support to use his name, image, or likeness in your efforts,” accusing them of doing it “for your own benefit” to sell donor lists later.
The PAC had released an ad just days before, which said, “Republicans need a new leader, and Tucker Carlson is ready to lead.”
The PAC filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission weeks after Carlson's departure from Fox. It was chaired by Chris Ekstrom, a former Texas congressional candidate, and Republican donor.
After receiving the letter from Dhillon, the PAC pulled the ads from Newsmax and shut down its operation.
“Tucker’s attorney has contacted us to let us know that Tucker is not a candidate for president nor has any intentions of running and asked us to cease all activities on his behalf. We are going to honor that request,” Draft Tucker PAC spokesman Charlie Kolean said in a statement.
Kolean explained that the goal of the PAC was to shift the Republican Party to the right during the lead-up to the election.
“We hoped that a Tucker candidacy would open the Overton Window to the Right,” Kolean said in the statement. “We wish Tucker the best & profoundly hope he will not be silenced in this crucial presidential cycle. We consider Tucker Carlson to be the heir of Fearless Rush Limbaugh who never backed down from defending his people.”
Ekstrom told The Hill that the operation had raised only $212 and that it would donate it to a charity of Carlson's choice. He also took aim at Dhillon.
“I’d like to add that I am TOTALLY OPPOSED to SCAMPAC’s & have NEVER profited (unlike Harmeet) from my political activities,” Ekstrom told The Hill. “Indeed, I have spent a great deal of money exposing the narcissistic perfidy rampant in Republican politics. Especially at the so-called 'top;' which, in reality is a abysmal SEWER of losers, weaklings & liars.”
“We assume Carlson expressed his wishes through this ridiculous Wanna Be Failed Politician & TV lawyer,” Ekstrom said, calling Dhillon a “failed politician that wouldn’t know or understand a good political move unless it’s the immediate gratification of grandstanding for fools & know-nothings on Twitter.”
“The facts do not line up. Carlson is a PUBLIC FIGURE & might have been subject to a political Draft movement at anytime. I now regret lifting a finger to assist her quixotic attempt at RNC Chair. She might have been WORSE than Ronna!” Ekstrom concluded.
