Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host and highest-rated cable news personality of all time, is attracting millions of views on his newly popular show, “Tucker on Twitter.” It appears that Carlson may also be attracting Fox News talent to leave the network and join his new venture.
An investigative report from Variety found that “more than one Fox News talent has reached out to Carlson since he announced he was bringing his show to Twitter and informed him that when their contracts are done they are interested in being a part of what he is doing.”
Fox News did not provide a reason for Carlson’s abrupt firing. “Carlson’s Twitter move could have additional reverberations with talent at the network,” the report found.
Ep. 11 Ice Cube X Tucker: the studio interview pic.twitter.com/fcSkF76l3a
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) July 27, 2023
“A handful of Fox anchors have reached out to Carlson directly or had their surrogates contact him to say they are eager to join whatever venture he starts on Twitter when their contracts are up, according to sources,” the report said.
Carlson was reportedly told by a board member at Fox News that he was being let go as part of Fox News’ massive $787.5 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.
Both Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems have denied that Carlson was fired as part of the lawsuit settlement agreement.
“In the latest development to come three weeks after Carlson was removed from his role at the network on April 24, it has been reported that one of Fox Corp.’s eight board members was the one to tell the fired host that his ‘recent benching’ was the result of the secret condition in the Dominion settlement,” the outlet reported.
“According to Variety, the conversation between Carlson and the board member took place on April 26 – two days after the network announced Carlson’s involuntary departure from the company. The board member also reportedly told Carlson that the secret condition ensuring Carlson’s canning would not be found in any of the $787.5 million defamation settlement documents because it was a verbal agreement.”
A source spoke to Variety about the “secret agreement.”
“That condition was intended to hurt Fox, and Tucker is just collateral damage,” the source said. “Dominion wanted to punish Fox, and it’s working.” Dominion lawyers said it’s not true.
“Dominion made no demands about Tucker Carlson’s employment orally or in writing,” the lawyers have responded. “Any claims otherwise are categorically false and a thinly veiled effort to further damage Dominion,” the firm noted further. “Fox should take every effort to stop these lies immediately.”
Tucker Carlson: "No one is punished for lying…People are only punished for telling the truth👀👀 pic.twitter.com/I7dOMnCk5f
— nikola 3 (@ronin19217435) July 28, 2023
During an investigation by O’Keefe Media Group, an undercover journalist spoke to Fox News producer Sean Langille. Langille stated that Carlson was removed from the network as part of the settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.
The company sued Fox for $1.6 billion after the network made defamatory claims about their voting systems. O’Keefe’s videos showcase individuals who are unknowingly recorded and may face consequences for their words. Here’s a transcript of O’Keefe’s findings:
O’KEEFE: OMG News has obtained incendiary footage of a Fox News producer talking about Tucker Carlson’s departure, the Dominion settlement, and the influence that advertisers … have over the embattled network.
FOX PRODUCER SEAN LANGILLE: They gave them [Dominion] money. They say it wasn’t part of it. But we’re learning that Tucker getting fired was part of that.
UNDERCOVER REPORTER: Tucker getting fired was part of the Dominion lawsuit? Well, so did Tucker leave, or did you guys part ways, or Tucker was ousted?
LANGILLE: Yeah, he was ousted. Well, he brought up things that cost the company a lot of money…That, that was part of it. He was going to go after this whole thing about January 6 was… It was an inside job. He went after this guy Ray Epps, he said he was an FBI agent on the inside…. And basically encouraged it. He was going to go on the air and refute what that guy said on 60 Minutes.
