The real reason behind Tucker Carlson’s unexpected dismissal from Fox News has been unveiled, and it appears to be due to some extremely offensive private messages that left the network’s executives astonished.
These messages were discovered by Fox News’ lawyers as they prepared their defense against Dominion Voting Systems’ massive defamation lawsuit. The New York Times reports that the executives only became aware of the messages the day before the trial was set to begin.
Insiders who saw the messages claimed they were even more incendiary than the controversial remarks Carlson was already notorious for on his prime-time show. As a result, Fox settled the lawsuit with Dominion for $787.5 million just days after the messages came to light.
Though the specific content of the messages remains concealed in legal documents, a source revealed that one message, in particular, alarmed the network’s top executives due to its alleged racist content.
The New York Times also noted that these messages significantly influenced Fox’s decision to fire Carlson, who had been a prominent figure in their evening lineup for years. The Dominion lawsuit was a significant burden for the network, with high-profile figures such as Carlson and Fox Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch potentially having to testify.
The situation became even more complicated when additional texts from Carlson surfaced before the trial, showing him mocking individuals who were spreading then-President Donald Trump’s baseless election fraud theories during the 2020 race. Ironically, Carlson later became one of the most vocal supporters of those conspiracy theories on his show.
The media world was abuzz when Fox News announced that Carlson would be leaving the network effective immediately. The news caught everyone by surprise, especially since he had previously stated that he would return to the show on Monday. As it turned out, Carlson himself only learned about his dismissal ten minutes before the news went public.
On Twitter, Carlson briefly thanked his supporters but made no mention of his firing or Fox News.
