The details surrounding the end of Carlson’s reign at the network are murky.
In a stunning announcement, Fox News said it has ended Tucker Carlson’s reign as the host of the network’s highest primetime rated show (and one of the highest-rated shows on basic cable, period), effective immediately.
The network announced Monday morning that the final episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight had already aired, but didn’t give a reason for the exit, saying only that the two parties “agreed to part ways.” The network will fill Carlson’s time slot with an interim show, Fox News Tonight, to be helmed by yet-to-be-named hosts.
The news comes less than a week after Fox’s massive settlement with Dominion over its spread of misinformation about Dominion voting machines, although Carlson’s role in the suit was relatively small. In the absence of an explanation for why exactly Carlson is departing so suddenly, there’s plenty of speculation that another, bigger scandal could be waiting in the wings for Carlson and Fox. Otherwise, it’s currently unclear what triggered the rift, what’s next for Carlson, or what Fox News looks like without Carlson at its center.
Here’s what we know so far.
What happened?
Tucker Carlson will no longer be a host or correspondent for Fox News. His show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, ran on the network for over six years. It’s unclear how long the show will be replaced by Fox News Tonight. While the circumstances are unclear, the departure seems to have been extremely sudden. Carlson also had a prominent place on Fox News’ streaming channel, Fox Nation, where he hosted a daytime talk show and several documentaries. Fox News’ statement did not specifically mention the future of his Fox Nation shows.
Carlson had been with Fox News since 2009, though his presence was relatively minor until the premiere of Tucker Carlson Tonight in November 2016.
When is his last day?
Carlson’s last episode aired Friday, April 21, 2023, according to Fox’s statement.
How sudden was his exit?
Carlson signed off on Friday with, “We’ll be back on Monday,” indicating that he either expected to still have a show or didn’t want to telegraph that he wouldn’t. Fox News also didn’t seem to know Carlson would be exiting even as late as Monday morning, as it was still reportedly airing previews of Carlson’s show for that evening, which will not air after all.
Why is he leaving? (We don’t know!)
Currently, Carlson’s departure has spawned rampant speculation but no clear facts. A Washington Post report claims that, rather than a preemptive strike against a scandal, “Carlson’s own statements” criticizing Fox executives, as uncovered by the Dominion lawsuit, may have proven too much for the network and prompted a clash of egos. Carlson has yet to make a statement about his departure.
Is there any precedent for something like this?
Carlson himself got the 8 pm timeslot after its inhabitant, Bill O’Reilly, was fired in 2017 over his multiple sexual harassment lawsuits and a great deal of external pressure. Tucker Carlson Tonight, which had premiered a year earlier at the 9 pm slot, was then moved to O’Reilly’s 8 pm.
Again, we don’t yet know what the circumstances are behind Carlson’s ouster.
Can Fox News recover from this?
If Carlson’s ascendancy at Fox News is anything to go by, the network will probably continue to thrive. When O’Reilly was fired, he was the channel’s highest-rated show and seemed irreplaceable. Carlson’s show was still relatively new, but filled O’Reilly’s spot just fine, staying atop the ratings and developing its own rabid fandom.
