Tucker Carlson interviewed several prospective 2024 Republican presidential candidates during a forum with TheBlaze Friday, and he shared how a cable TV legend helped shape his strategy for his questions.
Carlson was asked about how he approaches interviews with the power players of the Republican party and said there is certainly a difference between an in-person interview and a satellite interview.
“You really get a different feeling when you’re with someone physically. I really believe in that,” Carlson said. “I’ve got like an opening question or whatever for everybody. But the subsequent questions are always based on the answer.”
He then shared that during his time working at CNN, co-workers and the public at large would mock primetime host Larry King. However, Carlson eventually grew to admire the host.
“Everyone made fun of Larry King, and I, of course, did, too, because I was shallow and mean,” admitted Carlson. “But then I became his fill-in guy. I had a long talk about how to do the show and he goes, ‘No, I just listen really carefully. Like, I don’t know anything. I’m the most ignorant man in the world. I’ve never read a book. That’s totally true. I’m basically illiterate. But I’m interested in other people. And when they answer, I follow carefully what they say. And that’s the key, because I like people’.
“And I thought Larry King was kind of a genius. There’s a reason he was number one. And I’ve really tried to emulate that.”
Carlson then shared that he knows going into an interview that politicians have talking points, but keeping the subject to what viewers and listeners want to hear is key.
“Your job is to try to kind of keep it to the relevant stuff without being impolite. I try not to be impolite ever,” Carlson quipped. “I really try to be polite, but to try to keep the person to stuff that will inform the audience in a meaningful way about who the person is. So that’s kind of my strategy for all interviews.”
