A break between two conservative heavyweights?
Former Fox News headliner Tucker Carlson unleashed a surprising attack on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this weekend at a Naples, Florida, event hosted by the International Order of T. Roosevelt (IOTR), a hunting and conservation foundation dedicated to protecting hunters’ rights.
Carlson accused DeSantis of being manipulated by left-wing environmental groups like Captains for Clean Water and the Everglades Foundation, which advocate for improving Florida’s water quality. According to Carlson, these groups serve as fronts for more sinister development interests.
“Everyone’s paid to lie about this and blame the farmer,” Carlson said. “You’re not gonna make me feel like a socialist, because I’m against building a gas station, or whatever disgusting complex you’re getting rich from, and paying off every politician in the state of Florida, including the governor.”
Farmers vs. Environmentalists: Who’s Really to Blame?
Carlson painted a picture of farmers as scapegoats in Florida’s ongoing battle over water quality issues like toxic algae blooms.
Vigorously defending farmers, Carlson passionately argued they’re disproportionately blamed for algae blooms, and dismissed environmental concerns as cover for shady development deals — scientific studies shows agriculture runoff, along with urban sprawl, fuels toxic blue-green algae outbreaks.
-Farmers, not villains: Carlson defended Florida’s agricultural community.
-Environmentalism as a cover: He argued activists are being used to justify shady real estate developments.
-Calling out corruption: Carlson accused politicians, including DeSantis, of being complicit.
Amendment 2: A New Political Battlefield
The event celebrated Florida’s Amendment 2, passed in 2024, which constitutionally protects hunting and fishing rights — a measure supported by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson (R), who was present. The gathering also highlighted tensions between divergent economic interests in the fast-growing, now Republican-dominated state.
The Carlson-DeSantis Feud: Brewing for Months?
Though Carlson has not consistently criticized DeSantis, he has expressed notable disapproval — particularly regarding the governor’s 2024 presidential campaign and policy shifts.
-December 2023: Carlson blasted DeSantis’ presidential campaign as a “trainwreck,” criticizing his team as “the nastiest, the stupidest and the most zero-sum people” he had ever encountered.
-Ukraine Policy Shift: Carlson accused DeSantis of flip-flopping on Ukraine under the influence of major donor Ken Griffin, moving from non-interventionist skepticism to full-throated support of U.S. aid.
Despite his criticisms, Carlson had acknowledged DeSantis’ effectiveness as Florida’s governor — without thinly veiled jabs — at least prior to his appearance last weekend.
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