Tucker Carlson out at Fox News
April 25, 2023
Fox News has agreed to ‘part ways’ with its top-rating host Tucker Carlson days after the broadcaster paid $787.5 million to settle the defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems.
Fox News put out a statement that read: “We thank him for his service as a host and prior to that as a contributor… Mr Carlson’s last programme was Friday April 21st. Fox News Tonight will air live at 8pm starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating Fox News personalities until a new host is named.”
Fox News was embarrassed by revelations in pre-trial court filings from the Dominion lawsuit about its coverage in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential elections. Carlson and fellow hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham privately mocked regular guests such as Donald Trump’s attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, while continuing to promote their lies and conspiracy theories to their audience.
The hosts were spared having to testify at trial when Dominion and Fox News reached a last-minute settlement last week.
The network is still facing a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit brought by the Smartmatic voting software company over its election coverage.
Carlson, 57, has presented his show since 2016 and made it the most watched show on cable news. Advertisers have long resisted the show because of its extreme views, but Fox resisted calls to reign in the presenter.