Opinions

Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox will deepen America’s political divisions

Henry Watson ’25, Paper News Editor|April 30, 2023

In 2021, Tucker Carlson’s $20 million per year contract was renewed, amplifying the idea that the long-time host’s history of controversies had not dissuaded Fox Corp. On April 24, Carlson found out he was being sacked only 10 minutes before his departure was publicly announced, and his attorneys are now negotiating a final exit package, including a payout of the remainder of his $20 million salary this year, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Nobody could have foreseen the dismissal of primetime host Tucker Carlson from Fox News. Carlson was unique in his ability to generate controversy after controversy whilst enjoying the support of his network, giving him a sense of invincibility that he could speak his mind freely and attracting a loyal audience that may follow him to his next network.

In the eyes of Fox executives, Carlson had just caused one too many headaches, such as published text messages defaming executives and former President Donald J. Trump, a documentary that immensely downplayed the Jan. 6 riot and spreading falsehoods about voting machines that ultimately forced a $787.5 million payout from Fox.

Fox, however, seemed to stick with Carlson as long as his audience did. In 2019, his show saw a mass exodus of blue-chip advertisers after a streak of controversial rhetoric over hot-topic issues, including alleging that immigration had negatively impacted America and dismissing the importance of white supremacy as an issue.

Carlson’s freedom on television granted him the ability to give electrifying monologues over Democratic treachery, class warfare and elite manipulation, bringing in a loyal audience of over three million daily watchers. Most of his viewers consisted of conservative white and older members, who entrusted Carlson with reporting all the ways the elite political class–or “they” as he grouped them–wanted to destroy “you.”

The abrupt dismissal of Carlson has brought new discussions over where he will end up. Carlson is unlikely to have any trouble staying in the political arena. For one, his Twitter video addressing his departure gathered 61 million views in under 24 hours and he has also already received offers by other news outlets. This includes his now-former network’s biggest rival, Newsmax and a $25 million signing bonus by far-right channel One American News Network (OAN) to host a prime-time segment.

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— Henry Watson ’25

Carlson’s all-but-inevitable union with one of these far-right networks would further inflame American political tensions. For one, Carlson’s unique hold over his audience could mean that a large number of his followers may follow him to wherever he ends up, where he is now guaranteed to be unchecked in his rhetoric by executives.

While Fox News has had no shortage of controversies, it still features segments by mainstream journalists, including news anchors John Roberts and Bret Baier. The aforementioned channels that Carlson has been recruited by–Newsmax and OAN–both enjoy ratings that place them both at the absolute “extreme” of the right along with a factual reporting ranking of “low.”

Those who follow Carlson are unlikely to find impartial news segments or centrist editorials on their new favorite network. Instead, their views will be hardened by anchors, who will also relentlessly mock and diminish their opponents from the center-right and left and fuel political tensions.
The 2020 election caused panic among Fox leadership after viewers fled to more right-wing news channels like Newsmax due to their willingness to air false fraud claims by former President Trump’s campaign over election integrity. If a substantial number of Fox’s viewers decide to permanently part ways with their old channel, the network may feel intense pressure–like it did in the 2020 election–to adjust its coverage in order to re-attract viewers. That can’t possibly be beneficial for our political system and democratic institutions.