From a seasoned political journalist, an eye-opening examination of Tucker Carlson’s rise through conservative US media and politics, and his ideological transformation over the past thirty years, tracking the concurrent shifts in the political and media landscapes that have both influenced and succumbed to the hyper-partisan politics of today.

To many, Tucker Carlson is synonymous with modern conservative politics. Carlson has been present on US screens for almost three decades, and is known for his increasingly extreme right-wing views. But those who knew Carlson in his earlier days in political journalism remember a very different man — a serious and gifted writer and commentator who enjoyed debating with liberal friends and calling out conservative failures in equal measure. Now, after watching Carlson turn away from measured reporting, while simultaneously gaining unparalleled power in Donald Trump’s Republican Party, most are left asking, What the hell happened to Tucker?

New York Times Magazine writer Jason Zengerle’s rich and evocative character study of Carlson tells the story of how the former Fox News talking head rose through the ranks of conservative media to his current position as one of the most powerful voices in right-wing politics. Through deep reporting and a sweeping view of the political and media landscapes over the past thirty years, Zengerle reveals how Carlson’s career offers a unique lens into the radical transformation of American conservatism and the media that covers and ultimately shapes it.