The walls of MAGA media might be cracking.
Tucker Carlson is asking questions no one thought he would. This week, he challenged FBI Director Kash Patel over the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt.
In a video released Friday, Carlson traced Thomas Crooks’s online activity. He highlighted violent threats against Democratic congresswomen in 2019 and public mockery of Trump supporters in 2020. Yet the FBI said Crooks had “minimal online presence.”
Carlson is not a fringe voice. He spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention in a prime-time slot. That made him a close ally of Trump.
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Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino defended the FBI. Bongino told viewers: “In some of these cases, the there you’re looking for is not there.” Carlson sees this as resistance that undermines MAGA credibility.
MAGA media has long acted as Trump’s shield. Carlson often balanced skepticism with loyalty. He questioned investigations during Bill Barr’s DOJ but avoided crossing Trump.
Now, Carlson claims Patel and Bongino misrepresented Crooks’s online activity. He says they hid evidence of radicalization. Patel focuses on personal involvement. Bongino focuses on speaking “the truth” instead of giving audiences what they want. Carlson frames this as a conflict between loyalty and transparency.
Tucker is not alone. Laura Ingraham recently questioned Trump on Fox News. She asked: “Why are drug prices still rising when you promised to cut them?” She also asked: “How is your tariff policy helping families who can’t afford groceries?”
Even longtime allies are feeling pressure. MAGA audiences value accountability. They want honesty, not just loyalty. When Trump was out of office, blind defense had little risk. Now, governing means his media allies can be challenged.
This is a shift in incentives. Carlson and Ingraham show audiences reward scrutiny over cheerleading. They keep viewers engaged and preserve their credibility. Trump no longer controls the narrative completely.
The change matters because MAGA media has become semi-autonomous. It checks Trump while remaining conservative. Loyalty is no longer automatic. Criticism can come from trusted voices.
Trump now faces a media landscape that answers to audiences as much as to him, shifting the balance between support and accountability.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
