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Tucker Carlson, the highest-rated cable news host in history, was abruptly taken off the air in late April. Now, new information reveals who made the final decision to cut ties with Carlson.
A new report reveals that Lachlan Murdoch, the chief executive of Fox Corporation, and Suzanne Scott, chief executive of Fox News Media, decided to fire Carlson.
“The power that Mr. Carlson, 53, wielded outside Fox News could not insulate him from a growing list of troubles inside the network related to his conduct on and off the air, some of which had been grating on Mr. Murdoch and his father, Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of Fox Corporation, who co-founded the network in 1996, according to the two people with knowledge of the company’s decision,” it was reported.
“The host, a polarizing and unpopular figure at the network outside of his staff, was exposed as part of a defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems as a bully who denigrated colleagues and sources, often in profane and sexist language, and called for the firing of Fox journalists whose coverage he disliked. He has also drawn condemnation from the right and left for his role in fostering a revisionist account of the assault on the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021,” the outlet added.
Carlson, for his part, has been busy since his departure.
Carlson gave an update on why the network took him off the air in late April during an interview with British comedian and actor Russell Brand during the latter’s podcast.
During one segment of the show, Carlson said he doesn’t know exactly why he was fired but has a good idea about it, adding that he’s not angry over the parting of ways.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Carlson said on Brand’s podcast, “Stay Free,” the former host’s first public interview since being axed by Fox, Newsmax reported. “They didn’t agree with me, of course, I don’t think.”
“It’s not the first time I’ve been fired … when you say what you think, there’s an expectation you can get fired. I didn’t expect to get fired that morning at all, so I was shocked. But I wasn’t really shocked … I wasn’t mad,” he noted further.
“The only thing that bothers me? I’m 54. When you get a little bit older … you can lose your drive … It’s a little bit too nice,” he said regarding his now-extended vacation in Maine, which has been filled with fishing and eating late breakfasts. “My only fear has been … being a little bit too happy.”
The pair also discussed a wide range of additional topics, including his views about former President Donald Trump, whom he said he ‘loves.’ He also agreed with Trump’s position on the war in Ukraine.
“Trump is the only person … who is saying: ‘Wait a second. You know, why are we supporting an endless war in Ukraine?'” he said of Trump’s criticism of the U.S.’s involvement.
“All I can say at this point is I’m so grateful that he has that position. He’s right. And everyone in Washington is wrong, everyone,” Carlson added.
“Trump is right on that question … the war is reshaping the world. It’s reshaping the economy of the world. It’s reshaping populations,” he went on. Later, Carlson said that the U.S. had a unique power to force peace in the conflict, but those in charge of the country right now obviously don’t want to do that, Newsmax added.
On the topic of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, Carlson said the current approach to the issue is “designed to wreck the country and make it unstable.”
“I’m not against immigrants; that’s insane. The way the U.S. is doing immigration is designed to wreck the country … and add to racial division, which I hate because it’s not solvable. Our leaders not only want racial conflict but are stoking it,” he said.
