Tucker Carlson Nipped from Fox

/207 Comments/in /by

Fox just announced that Tucker Carlson is out, effectively immediately.

I doubt this is Dominion related. It was too sudden. He signed off Friday pitching his show today and Fox was until minutes ago previewing the show.

Plus, Tucker is both less culpable for the specific claims in Dominion than Maria Bartiromo, and far more important for Fox viewership.

Update: As Rayne linked in comments, it is Dominion related, but it seems to be because of the things Fox discovered Tucker had said about management, not about his defamation of Dominion.

But it was Carlson’s comments about Fox management, as revealed in the Dominion case, that played a role in his departure from Fox, a person familiar with the company’s thinking told The Post.

“Do the executives understand how much credibility and trust we’ve lost with our audience?” Carlson wrote to a colleague in a message a day after Fox, like other media outlets, called the election for Joe Biden. In another message, he referred to management with an expletive: “Those f—–s are destroying our credibility.” He later wrote: “A combination of incompetent liberals and top leadership with too much pride to back down is what’s happening.”

Tucker’s Executive Producer is also out, though, so it’s likely more than just that.

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207 replies
  1. Rwood0808 says:

    Thank you for calling it a “firing”.

    My questions now are what does the dirt consist of and who has it?

    I imagine we’ll know soon enough.

  3. Estragon says:

    Why does this fill me with dread? Whatever this guy gets up to next is going to be worse than a dumb TV show only old people watch

    • Cicero42 says:

      I don’t know. He’s already been at all three major cable networks. They are not taking him back. OAN and Newsmax are distinctly several cuts below. They probably can’t pay him anyway, they’ll have to settle with Dominion et. al. sooner or later. I bet he sits on his money and the Swanson fortune for the time being. He’s relatively young so he’ll probably surface somewhere at sometime. But who will give him a platform? Steve Bannon?

      [Thanks for updating your username to meet the 8 letter minimum. I assume this is the username you’ll use here forward. /~Rayne]

      • BruceF says:

        Maybe his next gig will be with RT. He has been a Putin cheerleader since the bloated Orange KLOWN took office! When the announcement of his firing/resignation came out with no reason given the range of possible things that needed to be considered included his treachery and promotion of insurrection. More may still come out on this issue!

    • Elvishaslefthebuilding says:

      It fills me with dread because of the leadership vacuum in the GOP. Should he decide to run, it’s my view that Carlson has a very good chance of snaring the GOP nomination for President – he is very much in tune with the racism of the Republican Party and is an effective communicator. Should he win the nomination, he would certainly stand a better chance of winning than many of the other possible nominees, including Trump. I don’t see Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, or Chris Christie or anyone else for that matter persuading independent voters to vote for Republicans. Carlson on the other hand – he has a talent for sounding reasonable, even when he is being racist.

      • Rand Careaga says:

        “Should he win the nomination, he would certainly stand a better chance of winning than many of the other possible nominees, including Trump.”

        Doesn’t this assume that TFG would graciously stand down and lend his support to Tucker or any other nominee rather than screaming FRAUD! and THEFT! from the convention up to and past election day? I haven’t seen anything in his conduct from 2016 through the present to suggest that he’s capable of that kind of restraint.

        • Rand Careaga says:

          That occurred to me, but don’t you think that TFG would attribute to the Tuckster his own mindset? I mean, it’s not as though a lot of outfits that relied on their contracts with the Trump organization were ever paid in full. Hell, if I were President Carlson I’d let the fucker hang, regardless of what I might have “promised” in August.

        • Yargelsnogger says:

          I think any smart 2024 contender is going to keep his or her head down until Trump is in jail (or maybe so deeply ensnared in serious court proceedings that he finally not viewed as viable by the base). I think there are a lot of Republicans waiting for the courts to do their job for them and allow them to be a the viable alternative party again that they so richly do NOT deserve. I read it in that context. Maybe he is dumb or arrogant enough like DeSantis to pop his head up early to have it chopped off by Trump while Trump still has that power, but I doubt it.

  5. ExRacerX says:

    It’s a puzzler. Apart from the general idea that Fox must have come to see him a potential liability going forward, I’ve no idea what was behind it. I have to assume they already knew about everything in the Dominion case’s Discovery, so it would likely be a more recent development?

    Either way, it’s good to see Carlson getting cut loose—hopefully whatever new gig he lands isn’t carried on basic cable…

    • TooLoose LeTruck says:

      I could see him turning up as Trump’s VP candidate…

      But first he’d have to take out Kari Lake… and that’s a street fight I’d damed near pay to watch…

      • Glenn_24APR2023_1253h says:

        Me too :)

        [Welcome to emptywheel. Please choose and use a unique username with a minimum of 8 letters. We are moving to a new minimum standard to support community security. Because your username is far too short and common it will be temporarily changed to match the date/time of your first know comment until you have a new compliant username. Thanks. /~Rayne]

    • Tom Marney says:

      If Trump was struck down by a karmic event, sure. Desantis is experiencing rapid unscheduled disassembly without even being a declared candidate, and the other Republican contenders are even weaker. If it happens, he’d definitely get the Republican nomination.

      • noromo says:

        Lol. “…rapid unscheduled disassembly….” Are you an engineer? Rocket scientist? I used to work for a gas utility. The euphemism in that industry is “uncontrolled release.”

        • ExRacerX says:

          My favorite observation on euphemisms is this one by George Carlin:

          They say that if 2 planes almost collide, it’s a near miss. Bullshit, my friend. It’s a near hit! A collision is a near miss…

          *WHAM! CRUNCH!*

          “Look, they nearly missed!”
          “Yes, but not quite.”

        • Tom Marney says:

          Noromo, you haven’t been paying attention to current events. “Rapid unscheduled disassembly” was the hilariously euphemistic term for the explosion of Musk’s big rocket, and it’s been applied to various other things since.

        • noromo says:

          I missed that tidbit. But did read that there was general rejoicing anway, which is typical of scientists: they’re as interested in the outcome, regardless. Which is why you should never fly on anything built by scientists.

          I also read the FAA shut down SpaceX while they investigate the debris left by that unscheduled rapid disassembly.

  11. Rayne says:

    Interesting.

    Tucker Carlson is out at Fox News after Dominion lawsuit disclosures
    The bombastic conservative was the network’s most-watched prime-time host. Private communications made public in a recent lawsuit revealed his sharp criticism of Fox management.
    By Jeremy Barr
    Updated April 24, 2023 at 12:18 p.m. EDT|Published April 24, 2023 at 11:39 a.m. EDT

    But it was Carlson’s comments about Fox management, as revealed in the Dominion case, that played a role in his departure from Fox, a person familiar with the company’s thinking told The Post.

    Notably, Carlson was not allowed back on air to say goodbye to the mammoth audience he had amassed in his years as a primetime host.

    I am wondering who among the board of directors or the largest shareholders might have been pissed off about the money lost and brand damage, wanting a highly-visible sacrifice on the altar in remediation…and lo, a big expense and a threat to management’s authority was the easiest coup.

    Of course there’s also Abby Grossberg’s lawsuit in the offing in which Carlson will figure large and cost even more to Fox’s bottom line.

    Et voila, couper, le passé terminé.

    • phred says:

      Thanks Rayne!

      I definitely like the “thou shalt not piss off the shareholder(s)” angle. Seems more likely to me than any of the lawsuits in the queue, but we’ll see…

    • BobBobCon says:

      And as far as shareholders, it may well be a sign of a Murdoch family power move.

      Far too much coverage of Fox News treats it as some kind of amorphous corporate entity like the way ABC News operates at a noticable remove from Disney’s CEOs. I don’t think most people in the press want to admit how much of the ugliness of Fox is a reflection of Rupert Murdoch being a vile human being who regularly pulls the strings.

      This may be a shift in either how Rupert Murdoch is shaking up the role of his kids in running Fox News, or of Rupert continuing to slip and losing control to a faction of the kids who want a more rational enterprise. This isn’t just like Comcast bean counters deciding to hand down a new set of cost containment rules to NBC News that led to a salary dump.

      • Rayne says:

        I know I’ve brought this up before in comments: James Murdoch is not involved in News Corp. He resigned in 2020. He was a Biden 2020 donor.

        Lachlan Murdoch is co-CEO with Rupert. There’s no positioning going on.

        • Ed Walker says:

          Rayne, I’ve seen speculation that James and his sibs are likely to work together to dump Lachlan.

        • BobBobCon says:

          James has quit his position but he still has a a lot of stock and one of the eight votes in the family trust that officially controls Fox.

          Rupert has four, four of his kids each have one. How that actually works is probably still whatever Rupert says goes, but he’s in bad shape physically, and he may want to cut a deal to keep the enterprise viable in case he goes suddenly. Or maybe he’s in King Lear territory.

          My main point is that it doesn’t make sense to treat this like a regular corporation — there’s a much higher chance of personalities driving events in a way that you wouldn’t see at CBS News.

        • Rayne says:

          I think there’s something else going on with James — he’s been deep into an attempt to acquire majority power over Viacom*.

          This doesn’t seem to mesh with sibs taking out Lachlan, unless there are concerns James can eventually create a viable and more powerful competitor to Fox News and possibly News Corp, and Lachlan is too toxic to lead Fox and News Corp. into a fight for market share.

          The other hint there’s more going on is Rupert’s engagement/break up, but past relationships haven’t played an overt role in the biz operations.

          EDIT: *Viacom18, not Viacom — whatever was left outside the Viacom-CBS merger serving India which is potentially 3X the size of US market. Because Paramount Global (what Viacom-CBS became) still has some involvement in Viacom18, it’s a potential outside risk to News Corp. Kind of like his father Rupert coming from Australia into US, James could take the same tack from India.

        • justlp34 says:

          I read somewhere in the last day (sorry, can’t remember where) that one reason Rupert broke the engagement was because his fiance called Tucker something like a voice from God. Sounds pretty off the deep end to me.

      • Ginevra diBenci says:

        Maybe the past couple episodes of Succession scared Rupert into seizing control back from his tarnished star? Before it’s too late, I mean.

        My guess would be shareholders who might know what’s coming from the Smartmatic/Grossberg suits, however. Not Dominion because I would’ve thought that would have come out last week, right?

      • Robot17 says:

        This is what I suspect. Rupert shifts to Michael since he was the one warning them. Smartmatic is still up in the queue and Lachlan has boned this up real good.

    • LadyHawke says:

      Got to assume it’s at least partly a money issue. I wonder about their desire to increase carriage fees from the cable companies, just as more subscribers are objecting to being forced to subsidize them at all. Did Tucker endanger that in some way?

      Would be hilarious if some percentage of their viewers don’t notice, or just shrug and move on to the next fear-monger.

      • Ed Walker says:

        This seems plausible. Tucker has got to be radioactive to standard US finance titans who are by and large staunchly pro-American and anti-Russian. But the unceremonious dumping might be a sign that tomething is really screwed up with the guy.

      • Badger Robert says:

        I have nothing to add. I am just reading the postings under Rayne’s reply with great interest.

        • Rayne says:

          First day in weeks I’ve had much unscheduled time and it’s all been blown on the fishsticks heir and Don Lemon.

          Gonna’ celebrate now re-watching Jon Stewart pummeling Tucker and killing his job on CNN.
          https://youtu.be/aFQFB5YpDZE

        • FL Resister says:

          Yes! That roasting of Tucker in 2004 by Jon Stewart was as true then as it is today. Well worth watching even if you have seen it before.
          The only difference is, today we have witnessed the profound, corrosive effects all of the constant, disingenuous lying has had on our democratic system.

  12. Phil_24NOV2020_1324h says:

    Maybe it’s not directly Dominion related but between insurance companies looking at exposure for the continued lies, the Smartmatec suit, and who knows what else was uncovered in discovery I’m betting it’s money-related.
    I’m hoping it won’t be long before we start seeing class action suits for people whose families and lives have been destroyed by Fox.

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    • bill says:

      I say this as someone whose area of litigation was consumer class actions: that will not happen. Unfortunately.

    • Bill Crowder says:

      I say this as someone whose area of litigation was consumer class actions: that will not happen. Unfortunately.

    • nord dakota says:

      Somehow that made me remember how my little sister first heard of Herman’s Hermits on a night out at a rural dance hall (a pole building with corrugated steel exterior walls and a persistent odor of particle board and vinyl inside) that sold 3.2 beer and setups (bring your own booze) in a town whose annual festival celebrated goose hunting and was 20 miles from the 4000-pop town where they stayed in a Best Western. She and her friend almost partied with them but opted for some local hunks instead. She had no idea they had once been famous. What would be the equivalent for Tucker?

  14. Alzero53 says:

    As I’ve said before, he has ambitions of the highest order and everything must be viewed in that light.
    How long until we see the signs: Tucker and Laura 2024

  15. soundgood2 says:

    Fox knows from experience that no on air talent is indispensable. Tucker will be replaced and the ratings will crawl back up again. Is Tucker going to run for President? That wouldn’t bother Fox, they would have kept him on to promote him as long as they could. Also possible that he was brought in and told that he had to modify his show and he told then no, fire him and they did. On the other hand, I there could be another scandal about to drop, more from Abby Grossman or her lawsuit has emboldened others. It would be in Fox’s interest to destroy Tucker going forward so I would expect that whatever the case, we will find out about it sooner rather than later.

  17. surfer2099 says:

    It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person. lol.

    I guess him and Greenwald can start their own platform on conspiracies, authoritarianism and election lies.

    I’m guessing Tucker is going to Rumble and doing spots on OAN or perhaps Fox is starting up a different network for more of the crazy stuff.

  19. lastoneawake says:

    They claim they will replace him with a revolving series of e̶n̶t̶e̶r̶t̶a̶i̶n̶e̶r̶s̶ news anchors—which is a copy of what The Daily News is already doing.

      • P J Evans says:

        Where I worked, you got to take whatever you wanted right then. And then your boss would walk you to the lobby security desk, to make sure you left.

        • P J Evans says:

          (That was *after* taking your badge, which worked the elevators as well as getting you through building security.)

        • MWFfromSAT says:

          I read that the only thing Tucker Carlson took with him when he left was a stale bag of M&Ms. No box of framed photos of the wife, family or “important” folks he knew? If true, it’s kind of weird.

        • fidservant says:

          The stapler is serious. At my last desk job, co-workers added a printed label stating it was my “obsession” and safety-wired it to my desk to keep it from wandering down the hallway. (I was the only office person.)

  25. John Paul Jones says:

    CNN not wasting a minute to capitalize on the opportunity, has fired Don Lemon.

    The story is at AP. I looked at the link and decided not to post it, since I couldn’t tell what else was being linked to. But it’s on their front page for now.

    Hard to say if its related; obviously not directly, but maybe in hopes that Tucker’s firing will drown out coverage of Lemon being fired. Curious timing anyhow.

    • earlofhuntingdon says:

      Companies routinely stockpile major moves when they can, especially when ousting senior talent or executives. The game is to separate them in time from the real motivating event or to take advantage of later news, to obscure the real reason for the ouster.

      And shame on the news media that refuse to call this a firing.

  27. John Paul Jones says:

    CNN, not wasting a moment, has fired Don Lemon.

    The story is on AP’s front page, but when I posted the link, it had stuff in it I couldn’t quite tell what it was.

    I doubt it’s directly related to Carlson’s being fired, but would speculate that CNN management opportunistically hoped that coverage of Carlson’s firing would drown out coverage of their firing Lemon, and their continuing move to a much whiter line-up.

  28. drewsill says:

    To employ a RW favorite (preferably read with a whiney tone as one does on the RW): but whutabout Sean, Maria and the not so honorable Jeanine (R. Boxwine)? Whut of them?

    I can’t believe Fox or its parent Co. did this out of the goodness of their hearts because they decided Tucker was just a tad too racist. That’s just not how they operate.

    Since none of us knows anything yet, it’s turtles (and speculation) all the way down. So here goes:

    1) T got him fired because he found out Tucker hated him with a passion (or used whatever leverage he seems to have on everyone whether it be from Putin, the confines of AMI’s safe or otherwise);

    2) Maybe “they” discovered his back channel to Putin’s disinformation factory and (as has been alluded to here previously) with “they” being anyone from Fox Management or ownership to shareholders or the DOJ.

    3) Maybe with the other defamation and shareholder’s suits looking like they might add up to real money, they decided to cut their losses and rein in crazies a bit.

    I’ve been hoping for a version of speculation 2 wherein T, the entire sedition caucus and his Fox Greek Chorus all end up in the slammer and all that’s left for Ivanka to do is to pick the shade of Safety Orange their designer jumpsuits will be.

    I also like the liability insurance angle, so much of life is decided these days on the basis potential (not necessarily even successful) claims.

    I look forward to the (hopefully salacious) details.

    • Raven Eye says:

      “T got him fired because he found out Tucker hated him with a passion…”

      From what I understand, the people Trump cherishes are those who slammed him, and then come on their hands and knees (preferably across a mile or so of camel poop and broken glass) to wash his feet and kiss something shiny.

  29. dakine01 says:

    Tucker out at Faux Noise is good but reality is, they were lying right wing shills before Tucker and they’ll be lying right wing shills after Tucker

  30. Chris Perkins says:

    Good riddance. I feel like Marcy’s first take on this, that it was NOT Dominion related, is the correct one.

    I know the WaPo is reporting that management didn’t like what Tucker was saying about them, but for the time period in question he certainly couldn’t have been alone. I’ll be interested in learning more in the future.

  31. bmaz says:

    Yeah, had to go to court for a bit and missed the news today, oh boy. The news is the news right this minute. But, while it may on the surface be about Dominion, the Smartmatic case is far bigger. Fox needed to make an ameliorative step. My guess is there will be more, but they will not change all that much.

    Tucker is more surprising than Don Lemon, though. Lemon has been cooked for a while. Is there anybody in the world that really likes what former later night producer Chris Licht is doing at CNN? His Aaron Spring like walking while talking anchors is idiotic and annoying. His personnel choices have been atrocious, although Collins and Harlow are actually very good.

    • earlofhuntingdon says:

      Good surmise about Smartmatic. Any apparent preemptive amelioration Fox can do now would be in hopes of a reduced payout later. But as you say, none of these moves is likely to materially change Fox’s business model.

    • punaise says:

      …and missed the news today, oh boy.

      Woke up, fell out of bed
      Dragged a comb across your head?

  32. GSSH-FullyReduced says:

    Ms Alternative Facts Kellyanne Conway and Tucker can regroup in the WarRoom with Bannon?

  34. ernesto1581 says:

    “Tucker, we at FoxCorp have decided that your partial responsibility for our $787 million settlement minus the ad revenue you bring in yields a negative number. Basic cost benefit analysis, baby… you sell fewer cases of lite beer and Viagra than it costs to maintain and defend you, you’re through. And thanks for all the fish.”

    [FYI – for future reference, that blue pill’s name will cause your comment to hang up in auto-mod. /~Rayne]

  35. oldtulsadude says:

    So bye bye Mr. Bullshit guy
    made a visit to Dan Levy
    but his Creek was dry
    and the GOP had themselves
    a good cry
    singing, who is gonna spread our lies, who is going to spread our lies

  36. ExpatR&RDino-sour says:

    Well … this news warms my cockles, but surely Fox News only make decisions that are good for business.

  37. MarkPalm says:

    Does Tucker get to keep the January 6 tapes as a parting gift or will Kevin McCarthy ask for them back?

    • Marinela says:

      Forgot about the J6 tapes. Maybe Tucker was entageled mishandling that info he was not supposed to have in the first place. That could explain the abrupt departure. Just speculation on my part.

      It was creepy to see Tucker going out of his way to promote Russian government propaganda.

    • c-i-v-i-l says:

      My understanding is that he never had copies of most of them in his possession; he was only allowed to review them in the Capitol Complex and then had to ask McCarthy for copies of the ones he ultimately showed.

    • ItTollsForYou says:

      I wondered about the J6 tapes and if McCarthy would give access to someone else now. Or does Carlson keep his access to them and take his reporting to RT?

  38. soundgood2 says:

    New WAPO reporting says Ray Epps attorney demanded apology from Tucker last month. I’m thinking Rupert might have demanded Tucker apologize on air or be fired and Trucker refused.

  39. observiter says:

    What must have been Trump’s reaction when he loudly heard on major news channels that his (key news propagandist and “friend”) was actually stating behind the scenes at Fox News that Trump was clearly the one who lost the election and any other version was nonsense. (or something like that)

    (Was Trump the root of the firing.)

  41. chum'sfriend says:

    So Tucker will be called as a witness and give testimony in the Smartmatic trial now, while holding a big grudge against Rupert Murdoch. Could be interesting.

    • drewsill says:

      I was just thinking the same thing but about the Grossberg litigation (where he’s separately named) and taking joy at the prospects of TC and Fox having adverse interests but amplified by this. Another potential font of revelations. If the T arraignment day was “arrestmus” then maybe this will be “schadenfreude day.”

    • SAOmadeLonger says:

      Rupert Murdoch isn’t going to testify. I suspect SmartMatic will settle. They and Dominion are businesses. Why we expect them to act as justice against corrupt behavior we can’t seem to find illegal, I don’t know.

      [Thanks for updating your username to meet the 8 letter minimum. /~Rayne]

  43. Matt Foley says:

    MAGA
    Mountebank Announcer Gets Axed

    Did Tucker leave the J6 videos or did he take ownership just by thinking about it?

  44. Matt Foley says:

    “Do the executives understand how much credibility and trust we’ve lost with our audience?”
    –Tucker Carlson

    Yes, Tucker. Yes, they do. Do you?

  45. bluebird says:

    I rarely post but is my username still valid? thanks

    [You’re just fine — in compliance with 8-letter minimum, no problem. Carry on! /~Rayne]

  47. punaise says:

    FWIW, Josh Marshall, linking to Phillip Bump:

    ….the only plausible theory I’ve seen is that Carlson’s departure is somehow tied to Ray Epps’ demand for an apology from Carlson over the litany of crazy stories about him boosted on Fox. It’s the only broadly plausible theory I’ve seen. But it still seems like a stretch on numerous fronts.

  48. e.a. foster says:

    Don’t know why any one is surprised that Don Lemon was fired. Once he was “demoted” to the morning show, the next step would have been to fire him, if he didn’t resign. Don’t know why he was “demoted” except to try to get rid of him.

    When I saw Tucker Carlson had been fired, it was a surprise, but then on the other hand, he has become more “news” than the reporting of the news. When that happens it makes sense he is fired. Doesn’t really matter why he is fired, he is gone.

    Carlson is wealthier than Lemon so he will survive the firing easily. Carlson could go into politics. Lemon may find himself a talk show to work from but it is doubtful either will find positions which pay them as much as their last jobs did.

    Wonder if either of them will sue their former employers.

    • Seashell says:

      “…he has become more “news” than the reporting of the news.”

      Not sure he ever reported news. He seems to have just made it up under the guise of questioning it.

  49. Ed Walker says:

    I’m guessing it wasn’t Dominion. If that were the case, Bartiromo should have been fired; she’s the one that started the Dominion stuff with that lunatic source.

    The only times Fox has acted like this have related to sex abuse stuff, like the Megyn Kelley complaints and the Roger Ailes stuff. I’d look there, maybe at Abby Grossman.

    If it is Dominion, I’ll bet it’s the tapes Grossman claims Fox didn’t turn over. That cost Fox heavily in the litigation, and I bet it was either TC or his producer who knew about them and didn’t hand them over as the Fox lawyers requested.

    • Badger Robert says:

      This comment is interesting. Non compliance with discovery procedures could have limited the Fox defense and forced the settlement.

    • AgainBrain says:

      That sounds _VASTLY_ more plausible. Presume TC & staff knew they were withholding discovery materials (possibly even contrary to Fox mgmt orders, solely on TC’s recorded orders). TC’s subsequent actions towards Grossman then basically ensured TC’s discovery-violating orders come to light, causing Fox needless additional harm, and providing hard evidence of Fox’s cultural disregard of law.

      At least to me, that feels like a much more plausible basis for ignoble excision of TC off Rupert’s ass, but IANAL so… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      • Rayne says:

        This bit from that NPR piece:

        “FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” the network said in a statement released by a spokesperson. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”

        Fox said Carlson’s last day hosting his show was Friday, April 21. Suzanne Scott and Lachlan Murdoch, the chief executives of Fox News and its parent company Fox Corp. respectively, had decided Carlson’s fate on Friday, a source with knowledge told NPR.

        feels like somebody really wanted to make sure it was clear that Scott and Lachlan ensured their primatur was on this separation.

        Not management, as in others apart from or in addition to Scott and Lachlan. Not directors expecting rectification/remediation.

        Not Rupert.

      • RJames0723 says:

        Since this is an open thread allow me some conjecture. If it turns out the Carlson and/or his producer were responsible for withholding the tapes that lead to Judge Davis’ sanctions, and worst, starting an investigation into Fox’s legal team, I would not be surprise by a hasty cutting of the cord. Fox is in need of good representation right now, with the stack of cases coming up, more than they need Mr. Carlson.

  50. LeeNLP941 says:

    Unfortunately, there are myriads of Carlson wannabes waiting in the wings, just as there myriads of Trump wannabes, waiting for their chance. And, unless they are dense, they have been learning lessons from the fall of these demagogues. It’s like that sad moment during a battle to the death with a super intelligent AI when the hero realizes “crap- he’s learning”.

    While each bad guy may be the embodiment of Evil, he’s still just an embodiment.

  51. NaMaErA says:

    It’s ok Tucky … go eat a shitty Trump Tower taco salad & then take a long nap.

    #WINNING #MAGA

  53. Savage Librarian says:

    I’m not really surprised about Tucker. I’ve been expecting it for awhile. This is pretty much how some high level firings happened where I once worked. There was a steady drip, drip, drip of bad behavior. Some lawsuits ensued. Then something particularly egregious. More lawsuits. Then a lull. Then BAM! the tipping point, nip & tuck. It was cumulative and the solution was costly, but taking into consideration the cost/benefit aspect, it was in the best interest of the organization.

    Media Matters

    In a mocking tone, not self-effacement,
    he blabs about the great replacement,
    He dug it up from some subbasement
    of his lost cause and Fox encasement.

    Tucker lives QAnon adjacent,
    self-indulgent and impatient,
    Democracy may still be nascent,
    So it’s best not to act complacent.

    If we focus on the understatement:
    Fox News is our state enslavement,
    whitewashing lies in its engagement,
    subjecting truth to corrupt defacement.

    With taunts that teeter, mostly blatant,
    on love of tyrants, not so latent,
    By and by, to our jacked amazement,
    Dominion may help incur replacement.

    4/10/21

  55. Alan Charbonneau says:

    I keep hearing the Edwin Hawkins Singers, “Oh, Happy Day” rolling around in my head.

    • earlofhuntingdon says:

      You know you are. And I believe her announcement said anytime between July 11 and September 1. So, imminent, perhaps in hopes of becoming immanent.

  58. joel fisher says:

    The answer to an awful lot of questions is,”money”. It’s possible he pissed off some money-is-no- object type in the Murdoch family, but more likely they see it, incorrectly, as a cost saver. It’s an obvious admission of misbehavior. But, more importantly, does it really make sense to humiliate an amoral, probably vengeful, type like Tucker? Sure, his deposition was taken, but who knows what Dominion’s lawyers didn’t know to ask that Tucker does and can’t wait to tell the folks at Smartmatic? NDAs and non-competes won’t help Fox. OTOH, one hopes it’s a painful experience for the swine on both sides. To paraphrase the former President, “There are bad people on both sides.”

    • timbozone says:

      You think the Murdochs are scared of Tucker Carlson?! Lol. They’ve been hounded out of Britain by the British Monarchy…that’s Premier League scrum compared to the likes of Carlson.

  60. Franktoo says:

    My guess is that Tucker was fired for expressing his private hatred of Trump, who can move a good chunk of FOX’s audience to OAN any time he wants. Megyn Kelly had FOX’s biggest audience in 2016 before tangling with Trump.

    Unlike Kelly, Tucker has publicly taken back his negative comments and been welcomed back by Trump. Trump has great respect for the potential political power of media figures such a Keri Lake (mentioned as a VP running mate). Met Oz, Hershel Walker. As long as Tucker has come crawling back, Trump doesn’t want to make a powerful enemy.

  61. klynn says:

    OT
    EW, the GOP bad deep fake ad you just rt’d about Biden – the first thought that went through my mind is how the GOP are the party of projection. So that’s a, “What will happen when Trump is elected,” ad.

  62. biff murphy says:

    Well thank you Fox.
    I will now await the firing of Bartaromo, Judge Boxwine, Waters, and the simplton Gutfeld

  63. Chris says:

    Part Oprah – Part Orban.

    I think his plan is a stab at a RW media empire based on his personal brand.

    I don’t think he’s interested in public office because he doesn’t want the scrutiny. He saw first-hand the misery of Trump’s day-to-day. He’d rather unplug have a drink and be a pig in his own time which he would be loathe to surrender.

    On the other hand, he may be non-competed up the wazoo.

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