Tucker Carlson Rants That Bari Weiss ‘Wouldn’t Rise Above Secretary’ in a Meritocracy

Tucker Carlson launched a blistering attack on journalist and commentator Bari Weiss during a recent appearance on Theo Von’s podcast, arguing that Weiss could not have advanced beyond a secretary in a true meritocracy.

Carlson opened his remarks by criticizing financier Bill Ackman, questioning how figures he described as uncreative or unqualified end up running major institutions.

“Bill Ackman’s worth like $8 billion or something. It’s fine. I don’t care if Bill Ackman—whatever Bill Ackman does—but I know Bill Ackman. He’s kind of dumb. He’s not ever created anything. He’s totally non-creative. How do these people wind up running our biggest institutions?”

He continued that such appointments suggest a system tilted toward people who do not merit their positions. Carlson said his objection was not merely political disagreement but what he called a lack of creativity and competence among those elevated to prominence.

“In no fair system, in no meritocracy would Bari Weiss rise above secretary. Like, actually—and I mean that. I’ve been in this business my whole life… There’s no world in which Bari Weiss rises to the top of a news network except a rigged world.”

Carlson also referenced Weiss’s past criticism of Tulsi Gabbard’s 2017 meeting with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, suggesting Weiss had shown ignorance about Assad. He broadened his critique into a philosophical point about creativity, arguing that a healthy society should reward creative energy rather than conformity.

Throughout the segment Carlson framed his objection as cultural: that modern institutions reward compliance and talking points over originality and initiative. Theo Von briefly interjected that organizations were not always showcasing their most capable people in visible roles.

The exchange comes amid ongoing controversies surrounding Carlson, including his 2022 interview with extremist figure Nick Fuentes, the promotion of revisionist World War II commentary about figures such as Winston Churchill, and a highly publicized claim that he was attacked by a demon that left him with physical wounds.

A clip of the podcast circulated online following the episode. The original report first appeared on Mediaite.