Investigative journalist and author Matthew Vadum appeared on Egypt’s QNews on August 9, 2026, alongside Justin Thomas Russell, executive director of the Global Foreign Policy Center, to discuss tensions inside the “America First” coalition and a recent meeting in Maine involving Tucker Carlson, former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Thomas Massie, and former Trump official Joe Kent.
The anchor was Salma El Feki. The show is called Think Tank.
The segment examined whether the gathering signals the start of a serious political alternative ahead of 2028 or simply an attempt to pressure Republicans.
Russell called the meeting insignificant.
“I think it’s just a bunch of the usual MAGA or disgruntled MAGA crowd that is starting to make some noise,” he said. “The reality is that the U.S. political system is not set up for a third political party. It’s never been successful.” He warned that third-party efforts have historically hurt the side they emerge from, citing Ross Perot’s 1992 run and Ralph Nader’s 2000 campaign.
Vadum agreed the gathering lacked substance and described it as performative.
“This is, in my view, political theater, not organization,” he said. “There’s no new party structure. There’s no ballot access plan… It is very difficult to run as a third-party presidential candidate in the United States. Almost impossible. Rarely succeeds.”
He noted the absence of practical foundations.
“There’s no indication that they have any serious fundraising chops behind them. There’s no candidate who is committed to run. Tucker Carlson himself, who is the public face of this breakaway movement, has said he’s not going to run.”
Vadum characterized the participants as former allies now trying to reclaim the “America First” label after breaking with President Trump.
“So you just have a bunch of disgruntled people — Marjorie Taylor Greene who threw a temper tantrum and decided she didn’t want to be in Congress anymore after Trump called her out… Thomas Massie from Kentucky who was soundly thrashed in his re-election bid in the recent primary… Joe Kent, a really marginal figure in the national security community who pictures himself as some sort of heroic whistleblower. Now they’re trying to brand themselves as the pure keepers of America First after they broke with President Trump who actually won on that slogan.”
Both guests pointed to foreign policy, particularly the Iran conflict, as a major source of friction. Russell argued the war and its economic effects were fueling discontent among parts of the base and could damage Republicans in the midterms.
Vadum left open the possibility the effort could grow while stressing its current limits.
“It could develop into something more tangible, something more serious, but right now it’s just a bunch of social media influencers making a lot of noise and getting a lot of attention on X… and causing a stink. Whether it actually amounts to much in the future remains to be seen.”
Watch the full segment here: