As one would expect following a show, social media and conservative websites were ablaze with variations of “Tucker destroys _____” and “Carlson demolishes _______.” If conservatives desired a version of Jon Stewart, they got one. The problem is, the format got tedious—and fast. After several weeks, I stopped watching. Once you get past who the guest is and why they’re appearing, it follows the same formula. Carlson looks quizzically into the camera, scolds the guest for not answering the specific question he posed and routinely laughs. By the end, while there may be a brief moment of triumphalism, you walk away realizing you didn’t learn anything.

In short, Tucker Carlson is now the partisan he once decried. His mission at this point is more about giving cover to President Trump than advancing conservatism.