Tucker Carlson leaving Fox News a week after company’s settlement with Dominion Voting Systems
Tucker Carlson, the deeply polarizing conservative political commentator and on-air personality, has abruptly left Fox News, days after the company settled a nearly US$800-million lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems over its 2020 election coverage.
Fox News Media announced the shock departure in a Monday press release, stating Carlson and the company agreed to part ways."
Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner addressed Carlson departure on-air that morning. We thank Tucker Carlson for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a longtime contributor," she said.
Carlson, who joined the network in 2009 as a contributor, had been the prime time host of his eponymous program, Tucker Carlson Tonight," since 2016. His last show was this past Friday, April 21.
Fox News said an interim program, Fox News Tonight," will air in its place, helmed by rotating Fox News personalities" until a new host is named.
Neither Fox News Media nor Tucker Carlson immediately responded to the Toronto Star's questions regarding the circumstances of Carlson's departure.
During his time at Fox News, Carlson consistently drew attention for controversial coverage, including recently airing tapes from the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection to minimize the impact of the deadly attack.
Carlson was also implicated by Fox News' recent case with voting maching company Dominion Voting Systems. Emails and text messages revealed as part of the case showed Carlson privately criticizing former U.S. president Donald Trump, despite the on-air personality's often strong public support for him.
The defamation suit, which revealed how Fox News peddled lies about the 2020 presidential election, was settled for US$787 million just as opening statements were supposed to begin, abruptly ending a case that had embarrassed the network over several months and raised the possibility that network founder Rupert Murdoch and hosts would have to testify publicly.
Despite the controversy, Carlson's show was the most-watched cable news show in March, with 3.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. In 2021, Carlson also launched two new marquee programs - a streamed documentary and podcast series - for the media company.
Carlson's departure Monday, expected to significantly alter America's media landscape, comes the same day longtime CNN host Don Lemon announced he had been terminated by the company.
With files by The Associated Press
Joshua Chong is a Toronto-based staff reporter for the Star's Express Desk. Follow him on Twitter: @joshualdwchong