Tucker Carlson kicks off cross-country tour in Phoenix with prayers and Russell Brand

PHOENIX — Right-wing personality Tucker Carlson kicked off his live tour Wednesday night in battleground Arizona to a packed arena.

But instead of delivering his usual fiery political rhetoric, Carlson focused opening night of his 16-date tour on his faith and mentioned Donald Trump by name only a handful of times.

“I just couldn’t wait to see other people who I’m on the same page with,” he said as the crowd roared with approval.

Joining him on stage was a barefoot Russell Brand, the British comedian and actor who recently converted to Christianity and was spotted at the Republican National Convention in July. In 2023 British media reported allegations that Brand had sexually and emotionally abused four women, which he denies.

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Together, Carlson and Brand mostly delivered a Bible sermon surrounding their shared Christian identity and only tangentially touched on the presidential race.

“After this election, you are going to be the inheritors of the new United States of America,” Brand said. “I suppose, in particular, I’m encouraged by the joining of Trump’s Republican MAGA movement by Robert Kennedy.”

Carlson entered the Footprint Center to thunderous applause and a standing ovation following a video compilation that showed dystopian images of smash-and-grab robberies and excerpts of interviews with Democrat lawmakers, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

Brand closed the night by dropping to his knees and leading the crowd in prayer.

Outside, Phoenix resident Deirdre Mischelle Scanlan said the two were a natural fit on stage.

"They're free media," she said. "We share the apprehension about the deep state and how it seems like we're not getting the truth."

North Carolina resident Alexandrea Iverson, who planned a visit with family around Carlson's tour, said she felt politically inspired for the first time this election cycle.

"I'm a Kennedy supporter and if I say Kennedy's my guy, everybody says, 'Oh, isn't he a nut job?'" she said. "But not tonight."

Carlson, 55, was abruptly fired from Fox News last year and has since launched his own eponymous media company.

It’s difficult to track Carlson's official reach, but his podcast is No. 2 on Spotify. While there appear to be plenty of tickets available for each night of his 16-date tour, some VIP packages, which cost $1,600 and feature meet-and-greets with special guests including Alex Jones and Donald Trump Jr., are sold out. 

Carlson’s event kicked off a whirlwind week of Republican appearance in Arizona. Sen. JD Vance spoke to a local church congregation Wednesday afternoon and is scheduled to hold a campaign event in Phoenix Thursday.

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Arizona, which swung blue in the 2022 midterms, is a crucial state to win in November and both presidential candidates are laser focused on gaining an advantage. 

Harris visited in early August, and made immigration a key component of her stump speech during a packed rally in Glenade, a Phoenix suburb.

Several weeks later, Trump was joined onstage in the same suburb by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shortly after the independent dropped out and endorsed the former president.

On Tuesday, Jimmy McCain, the youngest son of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., announced during an interview with CNN that he registered as a Democrat and has decided to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. 

He made the decision after an incident involving Donald Trump’s campaign staff at Arlington National Cemetery, Jimmy McCain said. 

Trump visited the cemetery last week with relatives of service members who were killed in Kabul during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago.

A member of Trump’s team “pushed aside” a cemetery official so that campaign staff could take photos and videos in an area where they are normally prohibited, according to the Army. 

Trump’s team has disputed that account.

The incident was the last straw for the younger McCain, whose father and sister had previously distanced themselves from Trump.

CORRECTION (Sept. 5, 2:16 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated that Tucker Carlson dropped to his knees and led the crowd in prayer. It was Russell Brand who did so, not Carlson.