Fox News’ abrupt firing today of Tucker Carlson from his position as a prime-time host set off a frenzy among the network's right-wing media competitors. Carlson’s sudden departure was so unexpected that he signed off his program Friday night by telling the audience, “We'll be back on Monday,” and Fox was still previewing a scheduled interview between Carlson and fringe presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on its programming this morning before announcing his departure.
Some reports have suggested that the move was related to information revealed by the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit that Fox settled a week prior. The Washington Post cited a source claiming that “it was Carlson’s comments about Fox management, as revealed in the Dominion case, that played a role in his departure from Fox.” Other reports suggest that the firing instead stemmed from another cause, with the Los Angeles Times and Semafor reporting that Carlson’s possible exposure to other pending lawsuits unrelated to the Dominion case could have contributed to Fox’s decision.
With the news taking so many people by surprise, many conservatives quickly lashed out at Fox or encouraged Carlson to move to another competing right-wing media outlet — or to start his own. Some even suggested that Carlson try a presidential run or become disgraced former President Donald Trump’s running mate in 2024.
But they can rest assured; with or without Carlson’s specific brand of bigotry dominating its prime-time lineup, Fox is still an extremist outlet chasing the demands of its increasingly radicalized audience.