Among the yellers on Fox News, Tucker Carlson was the king of ratings. Nearly three million viewers watched his show during prime time on weekdays. Because the 53-year-old gave the public — mostly Donald Trump fans — what they wanted to hear, which was racism and conspiracy theories.
His eviction on Monday was all the more surprising, including for Carlson himself. It was “a shock” to him, the Washington Post reported. Even in its final broadcast the previous Friday, there was nothing to indicate it would end any time soon. Fox News gave no reasons, which is why it was a mystery why the star moderator had to leave.
On Tuesday, the “New York Times” published text messages that could provide an explanation. They came from the documents of the defamation case of the voting machine manufacturer Dominion against Fox News. The text messages were blacked out, but the New York Times managed to get hold of the originals.
“White Men Don’t Fight That Way”
Carlson had sent them to one of his producers in the hours following the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. They show his disturbing worldview. This is how he describes a video in which Trump supporters beat up an “Antifa child”. It was three to one, and that was dishonorable: “White men don’t fight like that.”
It wasn’t the violence that enraged Tucker Carlson, it was the imbalance. Nevertheless, he began to cheer on the thugs and hoped they would “hit the guy harder, kill him,” he continued. To immediately admit that this is “not good”: “I shouldn’t enjoy his suffering. I should worry about that.”
show or convince?
There was constant speculation about whether Carlson, once a respected journalist, was simply putting on a show for his audience, or whether he actually believed what he said about the “big trade” of white Americans for “other-colored” migrants. In another text from the Dominion files, he wrote that he “passionately” hates Donald Trump.
The news that has now surfaced suggests that he had become increasingly addicted to white racism and nationalism. According to the New York Times, the Fox News board saw her shortly before the trial began. He was so shocked that he commissioned a reputable law firm to investigate Carlson.
Fear of testifying in court
Apparently, Fox executives were concerned that the moderator would be called to the witness stand and his abusive behavior would become public knowledge. This included private text messages in which he vehemently criticized Fox’s management and made vulgar and sexist remarks about a female manager.
This looming scenario may have helped Fox News reach a last-minute settlement with Dominion for the hefty $787 million. The owner family, Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan, would have decided on Tucker Carlson’s final demise the following weekend.
Murdoch takes the axe
They had long remained loyal to their star moderator, despite his hate speech and repeated advertising boycotts. Ultimately, the main advertiser on his show was far-right Trump admirer Mike Lindell’s MyPillow company. Still, Carlson made a major contribution to the financial success of the right-wing news channel.
A former senior executive of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. told the Washington Post he was surprised “that Tucker of all people had to go.” Murdoch doesn’t bet against himself and doesn’t like losing money, and Carlson generated a lot of it, “so I suppose it was a very personal decision.”
Implied comeback
The 92-year-old billionaire is increasingly troubled by how far his star has strayed into the far-right camp, the Washington Post reported, citing sources close to the Australian. For example, in a Fox News session, Murdoch lamented Carlson’s provocation of US support for Ukraine.
The racist texts were probably the straw that broke the camel’s back. And led to the firing of Tucker Carlson. The fallen superstar of the right has only changed since then reported in a Twitter video, in which he railed against politics and the media in the US. And vaguely hinted at a possible comeback.
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
