US political commentator Tucker Carlson, Fox News separate

Monday, April 24, 2023

Carlson in Phoenix, Arizona in December.
Image: Gage Skidmore.

Today, Fox Media announced Tucker Carlson was no longer working for it.

Carlson had hosted a cable prime time talk show on Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, since 2016. The most recent episode aired on Friday.

"We thank him for his service to the network as a host," a Fox Media spokesperson said. Carlson's program is set to be replaced by a new show, Fox News Tonight, hosted by various people.

Days ago, Fox News settled a defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems by agreeing to pay US$787.5 million in damages; Fox News did not say whether the settlement prompted Carlson's dismissal.

The Dominion lawsuit centered on Fox News' claims the 2020 United States presidential election was fraudulent. In a court filing announcing the settlement, Fox said: "We acknowledge the Court's rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false."

Dominion had obtained group chat messages from Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham. In those messages, Carlson said he "passionately" hated then-President Donald Trump.


Sources