How Tucker Carlson Helped Sell J.D. Vance as Trump’s Running Mate

When word got back to Tucker Carlson a few weeks ago that former President Donald J. Trump might be wavering on J.D. Vance as his running mate, Mr. Carlson intervened.

Mr. Carlson, who was visiting Australia on a speaking tour, phoned Mr. Trump and delivered an apocalyptic warning. Their conversation, according to two people briefed on the discussion, was included in an article in The New York Times exploring the yearslong process of how Mr. Vance won over Mr. Trump.

In their phone conversation in June, Mr. Carlson told Mr. Trump that another top running-mate contender, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, could not be trusted — that he would work against him and would try to lead America into nuclear war. Mr. Carlson, who declined to comment, told Mr. Trump that the other top contender, Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, could not be trusted, either.

Mr. Carlson told Mr. Trump in that phone call that he believed that if he chose a “neocon” as his V.P. — an abbreviation for Republicans who favor using U.S. power to implant democracy abroad — then the U.S. intelligence agencies would have every incentive to assassinate Mr. Trump in order to get their preferred president.

He also warned Mr. Trump against listening to the advice of allies of Mr. Carlson’s former employer, Rupert Murdoch. “When your enemies are pushing a running mate on you,” Mr. Carlson told Mr. Trump, referring to the Murdoch empire, “it’s a pretty good sign you should ignore them.”