The world of television just got a little less evil.
At least for the time being.
In a shocking move on Monday morning, Fox News announced that it has part ways with Tucker Carlson, its best-known anchor and a far-right pundit whose primetime program many believe has helped shaped the political views of millions across the country.
Carlson is out immediately, too.
“FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” read a short and simple statement by the network.
“We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”
Carlson hosted his show on Friday and didn’t say anything on air about an impending departure; starting Monday evening, the network will air Fox News Tonight as an interim show helmed by rotating Fox News personalities … until a new host is determined.
No reason has been given for this decision.
However, Carlson was a prominent figure in Dominion Voting Systems’ historic defamation lawsuit against Fox News this year, which the parties settled last week on the brink of trial for a record $787 million.
As part of the evidence against Fox News, we previously learned that Carlson trashed former President Donald Trump in private text messages, while telling colleagues that the 2020 election was won in fair and legal fashion by Joe Biden…
… only to go on air and then say the opposite to viewers.
In one of the exchanges cited aboove, Carlson texted a colleague:
“We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I truly can’t wait.”
“I hate him passionately,” Carlson added.
The polarizing host, of course, then gushed over Trump in an exclusive interview with the Republican front-runner for 2024 just a few days ago.
In another exchange made public in March, Carlson wrote:
“We’re all pretending we’ve got a lot to show for it, because admitting what a disaster it’s been is too tough to digest. But come on. There really isn’t an upside to Trump.”
The aforementioned lawsuit exposed how Carlson privately held a wholly different view than his on-air persona.
To reiterate, however, we have no idea whether or not this scandal played any role in Fox News and Carlson splitting up over the weekend.
Fox argued, in a counterclaim, that Dominion “mischaracterized the record” and “cherry-picked quotes stripped of key context.”
In a statement sent to various outlets amid the legal battle, a spokesperson for Fox accused Dominion of using “distortions and misinformation” in what it called a “PR campaign to smear Fox News and trample on free speech and freedom of the press.”
Carlson, for his part, has not yet commented on his dismissal from the network.