Tucker Carlson took National Review’s David French to task after the latter bashed him, firing back in an interview with the Atlantic.

The Atlantic’ Elaina Plott profiled Carlson’s nationalist populist views in their extended discussion, inserting a fair amount of liberal editorial perspective in her coverage of the interview. She included a statement from French, the longtime National Review writer, that claimed Tucker needed to do something to “overcome” supposed “race problems” prevalent within the right-wing populist school of thought.

Tucker responded appropriately.

“David French is a buffoon, one of the least impressive people I’ve ever met. Only in nonprofit conservatism could he have a paying job.”

French has consistently made bogus accusations of prejudice against those on the right-wing that disagree with his stale neoconservative political positions.

In the piece, Tucker also slammed the corruption of establishment conservative organizations such as the American Enterprise Institute, pointing out that the handsomely-funded think tank had released propaganda in favor of oxycontin distributor Purdue Pharmaceuticals.

French represents the old guard of conservatism, in which massive corrupt private equity domination of the economy is merely to be accepted, even if it means the wholesale destruction of life and economic prospects in countless American communities. It’s not surprising that he’d resort to strawman arguments in an attempt to demonize Tucker, who has served as the point man in introducing new economic ideas to a conservative movement sorely in need of them.

Tucker Carlson Tonight continues to outpace its network competitors in TV ratings combined. Given Tucker’s popularity, it might not be too soon to ponder about the cable news host’s potential 2024 Presidential candidacy.