Tucker Carlson, Fox News’ most popular host, out at network

NEW YORK (AP):

Fox News said Monday that it is parting ways with prime-time host Tucker Carlson, whose stew of grievances and political theories about Russia and the January 6 insurrection had grown to define the network in recent years and influence GOP politics.

Fox offered no explanation for the stunning move, saying that the last broadcast of Tucker Carlson Tonight aired last Friday.

Shares of Fox Corp slid four per cent within seconds of the announcement of Carlson’s departure.

The break comes less than a week after Fox agreed to pay $787 million to settle a lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems over the network’s airing of false claims following the 2020 presidential election. Carlson was also recently named in a lawsuit by a former Fox producer who said the show had a cruel and misogynistic workplace.

Meanwhile, CNN axed its own controversial anchor, Don Lemon, part of a one-day bloodletting in cable television news.

Carlson, who worked at both CNN and MSNBC earlier in his career, ditched his bow-tie look and quickly became Fox’s most popular personality after replacing Bill O’Reilly in the network’s prime-time line-up in 2016.

His populist tone about elites out to get average Americans rang true with Fox’s predominantly conservative audience, even leading to talk about him becoming a political candidate himself one day.

He did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Monday.

“Tucker Carlson had become even bigger than Fox News,” said Brian Stelter, who’s writing an upcoming second book about Fox, Network of Lies. “His sudden ouster will have profound consequences for Fox News, for TV news and the Republican Party.”

When Carlson’s exit was announced during a live showing of the ABC daytime talk show The View on Monday, the studio audience applauded. Host Ana Navarro then led the crowd in a singalong to a line from the song, Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.

Earlier this year, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave Carlson exclusive access to security tapes from the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, which the show used to conclude “the footage does not show an insurrection or riot in progress”. His interpretation was denounced by many, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Carlson has also been outspoken in questioning the United States’ support of Ukraine following its invasion by Russian forces.

“It might be worth asking yourself since it is getting pretty serious: What is this really about?” Carlson said on his show. “Why do I hate Putin so much? Has Putin ever called me a racist? Has he threatened to get me fired for disagreeing with him? Has he shipped every middle-class job in my town to Russia?”

Carlson had been expected to be among the first witnesses called if Dominion’s case had gone to trial, but the two parties settled last Tuesday on the same day that opening statements were expected.

‘Fox News Tonight’ will air in Carlson’s 8 p.m. ET prime-time slot, hosted by a rotating array of network personalities, for the time being.

“We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor,” the press release from the network said.