My conversation with Tucker Carlson

I sat down with Tucker in his studio to discuss my ban and the sad state of surgery

I was on Tucker Carlson’s show. There, I said it. Trying to tamp down my sense of disbelief is futile, like meeting one of the Beatles and acting as though it really isn’t anything special. It’s futile.

Tucker can fill a stadium just by having a conversation with a guest. Think about that. No pyrotechnics, no flashing strobe lights, no twerking dancers. Just two microphones and two chairs on a stage. Obviously, he is saying something people want to hear and will leave the comfort of their homes and pay for. In fact, he filled 16 stadiums over the course of one month on his live tour last September concluding with an interview of Donald Trump.

My improbable meeting with Tucker began when the American College of Surgeons embraced critical race ideology in 2020. The ACS, a professional organization representing excellence in surgery, in which I had been a Fellow in good standing for over thirty years, banned me for life in violation of its own rules because I objected to the leadership of the ACS characterizing me and my fellow surgeons as racists, the ACS as structurally racist, and the practice of surgery as racially discriminatory. Failing to obtain any due process from the ACS, I penned an opinion piece that was published in the Wall Street Journal in September 2022.

As a result of that piece, I received an invitation to appear on Tucker’s show on Fox. A journalist friend warned me that I might be forever tainted by such an appearance among those who were not fans of his conservative firebrand style of journalism. At the time, I was still engaging with the ACS and was unwilling to risk irrevocably cutting ties with the College, so I declined. A few months later, realizing the futility of my attempts for full reinstatement, I reached out to Tucker’s people.

That interview took place March 16, 2023. I sat on a director’s chair in a tiny studio in a commercial office park in Orlando. Tucker was in his studio up north. I stared into a camera with Tucker’s voice in my ear. I had debated whether to have a prepared statement or just wing it, and I chose the latter. Big mistake. I had less than three minutes and Tucker had to cut me off to say we were out of time. He graciously allowed that my situation was important, and said he hoped to have a longer conversation another time. Six weeks later, he was fired from Fox.

Fast forward a year and a half. I have had opinion pieces published in National Review, City Journal, Washington Examiner, and had done multiple interviews here, here, here, and here. Tucker has established himself as the top online news commentator with his new Tucker Carlson Network, completed a wildly successful nationwide live tour, and interviewed Donald Trump, Javier Milei, Robert F. Kenedy, Jr., and Vladimir Putin among other notables. The latter had 200 million views between YouTube and X (Twitter). I tentatively reached out in December and he answered me immediately with an invitation to join him and resume our conversation in his studio in Boca Grande, FL.

This took place on January 22. Unlike my earlier experience, this was face to face in his small, cozy studio. The vibe was very relaxed and informal. It was a real conversation and I felt I said what I wanted to say (I have viewed the video and remain happy with it). We talked for 10-15 minutes after taping was over. Tucker shared his recipe for a long life: nicotine, a happy marriage, and loving dogs. I agree with the last two; not so sure about the first. Tucker uses nicotine pouches like a chain smoker smokes, and has even launched his own brand, ALP (stands for American lip pillows). I had never heard of these. Unlike smokeless tobacco, they contain nicotine only, and there is no disgusting spitting. Nicotine pouches have only been in the US since 2015. There is no research available as to any harm with long-term use. Tucker clearly believes their benefits outweigh any risks.

I knew going on Tucker Carlson was not without risks. Some viewers and would be viewers would dismiss me outright. Once the interview was taped, I would not l longer have the ability to control its reception. I noted with a mixture of amusement and a little cringe that my stance was somewhat misrepresented on the banner in the opening of the view. I really didn’t say “most surgeons aren’t fit to practice.” I get it, though; the goal is to get as many viewers as possible and the “headline” so-to-speak has to hook the viewer. I hope the video viewed as a hole will represent what I wanted to say.

There are those who will claim that my appearance with Tucker Carlson is tantamount to agreeing with him on everything. I don’t. Tucker hosted Darryl Cooper and called him “the most important popular historian working in the US today.” In a post I am preparing, I address what I feel is one of the worst decisions Tucker has made.

That said, I agree with Tucker on many more of his positions than I disagree with, and I think he speaks for many millions of Americans with his conservative, traditional views regarding our culture and country. He clearly strikes a chord as his millions of viewers attest. His platform is unique and dwarfs much of the legacy media and so-called “giants” like NBC, ABC, CNN, and Fox.

In the final analysis, I was extremely grateful that Tucker felt my story was worth telling and offered me the opportunity to appear on his show. This may have been my Andy Warhol 15 minutes of fame moment.

I only hope that my message gets out widely. To my fellow surgeons it is that our professional organization, the American College of Surgeons has been captured by the toxic ideology of DEI and bans imembers who object, and to the general public that medicine and surgery are in very bad shape, and they must know that they can no longer just assume that their doctor is competent. We physicians and surgeons in the US have a lot of work to do to undo the decline of our once revered profession.

Thanks, Tucker!

Richard T. Bosshardt, MD, FACS, Senior Fellow at Do No Harm, Founding Fellow at FAIR in Medicine.

My book, The Making of a Plastic Surgeon- Two Years in the Crucible Learning the Art and Science, is available on Amazon in eBook and paperback. It provides an unapologetic look into the fascinating and misunderstood world of plastic surgery.