'It’s like smoking hash': Tucker Carlson says Trump uses a 'spell' to make people around him more compliant

Trump has a “supernatural component” that influences those around him and makes them more compliant, according to broadcaster Tucker Carlson, who described the experience of being near the US president in unusual terms during a recent interview with The New York Times.Carlson made the remarks in a conversation with journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro, where he discussed Trump’s leadership style, political influence, and decision-making during major policy moments, including the lead-up to US military action against Iran in recent months.He claimed that people in Trump’s circle often find themselves aligning with the president’s decisions because of a powerful, almost hypnotic quality.Carlson said: “And I think it probably literally is a spell. And the effect is to weaken people around him and make them more compliant and more confused. And I’ve experienced this myself. You spend a day with Trump and you’re in this kind of dreamland. It’s like smoking hash or something. It’s interesting, very interesting.”Carlson said he believes there could be a mystical explanation for the effect, while also acknowledging uncertainty about its cause.He said, “there be a supernatural component to it. I’m not a theologian, but it’s real, and anyone who’s been around him can tell you it’s true.”Carlson also criticised aspects of Trump’s foreign policy approach, arguing that there was limited internal resistance within Trump’s MAGA circle ahead of major decisions.He suggested that POTUS's influence leads advisers and associates to support his positions more readily than they otherwise might, describing the effect as “spellbinding.”Carlson was a well known conservative figure in the GOP circles, but his and Trump’s relationship has deteriorated in 2025–26 over disagreements on foreign policy. Carlson criticised the president and called him “kooky.” Trump responded with insults on Truth Social, calling Carlson and allies “low IQ” and distancing himself from them.