The Humiliation Of Tucker Carlson
Do not underestimate how crushing his departure from Fox News will be.
by Ben Cohen
Tucker Carlson is no more. He is gone from Rupert Murdoch’s Empire of Disinformation, sent packing like any other employee for running afoul of the network.
The details of his departure were shocking to say the least. According to former disgraced presenter Bill O’Reilly, Carlson was informed of his firing 10 minutes before Fox released a public statement (via Business Insider):
The producers of "Tucker Carlson Tonight" were still planning the evening's broadcast, fellow former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly said Monday on his show "No Spin News."
"They were in the middle of that," O'Reilly said of the planning, and, "boom: Tucker Carlson is history at the Fox News Channel. That's how fast it came. I know he didn't want to go out this way. I don't even know if he knows what the inner decision-making was."
This clearly wasn’t a mutual decision to “part ways”, as the network’s incredibly short public statement read. This was a cold-blooded firing designed to neuter Carlson before he had a chance to get out in front of the story.
Rumors are swirling as to why Carlson was fired. Was it because of his upcoming discrimination lawsuit? Punishment for his role in the Dominion debacle that cost Fox $787 million? Was his recent conspiratorial attack on Big Pharma finally too much for Murdoch and the pro vaccine management at Fox? Possibly, maybe, and almost certainly not.
As new details emerge, a more rational explanation is taking shape.
A story of bullying
The Wall Street Journal, which is also owned by Rupert Murdoch, spoke to “people familiar with the matter” (ie. sources inside Fox) to get the inside story. According to the Journal, it wasn’t the legal jeopardy Carlson put the network in, but his comments about executives revealed in the Dominion lawsuit sealed his fate:
The company took issue with remarks Mr. Carlson made that were derogatory toward the network, people familiar with the matter said. Much of the communications were redacted in court documents but became known internally to senior Fox management, the people said.
Then there was this fascinating scoop from The Daily Beast:
It was Fox Corp CEO Lachlan Murdoch and Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott who made the call on Friday night to can him and his show, Confider has learned, thanks largely (and surprisingly) in part to vulgar comments he made about Sidney Powell, the right-wing lawyer behind many of the bonkers 2020 election lies pushed on Fox’s airwaves.
Tucker was already pissing off Fox management between his conspiracy-laden coverage of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, including the repeated and baseless targeting of Trump supporter Ray Epps as being an FBI agent who instigated the insurrection; a looming lawsuit from his former producer Abby Grossberg alleging a sexist work environment; and his disparaging remarks about Fox brass in documents made public.
But most egregious, and what loomed large in his termination, people familiar with the matter told Confider, was how during his deposition with Dominion lawyers, when he was asked if “this wasn’t the only time you referred to Sidney Powell as a cunt,” the Fox News star responded: “You know I-I-I can’t know and I just want to apologize preemptively. I mean you’re trying to embarrass me, you’re definitely succeeding as I am embarrassed.”
Carlson being nailed in court documents for his repeated use of the overtly misogynist c-word was a key factor in his demise, as Fox News had rid itself of Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly after years of sexual-harassment complaints and could not have its biggest star undermining any supposed progress.
For those who have observed Carlson’s behavior over the past few years, this should not be particularly surprising. Carlson’s adoption of Trump like ethno-nationalism has given him huge power over the GOP, and he has used his nightly show to stoke fear in the hearts of Republican politicians. Carlson’s grip over the party is (or was) so complete few dared to publicly disagree with him, even on issues like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The spectacle of an entire political party terrified by a whiny, doughy, prep school alumni did not go unnoticed elsewhere in the world.
Former British Prime minister Boris Johnson had this to say in response to a question about Russian aggression at the Atlantic Council earlier this year:
“I’ve been amazed and horrified by how many people are frightened of a guy called Tucker Carlson,” said Johnson. “What is it with this guy? All these wonderful Republicans seem somehow intimidated by his — by his perspective.”
“I haven’t watched anything that he’s said,” Johnson continued. “But I’m struck by how often this comes up.”
The cruelty business
With an entire political party at his feet it is no wonder Carlson behaved like he was untouchable. Carlson could say anything he wanted on his nightly show. From calling immigrants “dirty” to lying about being spied on by the NSA, spreading Covid vaccine conspiracy theories, promoting white nationalism, and claiming the January 6th uprising was an FBI plot, Carlson’s programming was a reflection of his brazen confidence. He also engaged in extreme cruelty on his show, reveling in picking on trans people, immigrants, women, Democrats, and gay people.
“Pete Buttigieg has been on leave from his job since August after adopting a child. Paternity leave, they call it. Trying to figure out how to breastfeed, no word on how that went” - Tucker Carlson, Oct. 15th 2021
The sneering bullying also extended to staff members unwilling to go along with his racism and misogyny. Former producer Abby Grossberg’s lawsuit is particularly revealing. She recounts an aggressive “bro” culture, casual anti-semitism, and repellent sexism. On her first day in Carlson’s team, she saw mock-up pictures of Nancy Pelosi “in a plunging bathing suit revealing her cleavage” plastered around the office and on her computer.
The cruelty wasn’t just for show, it was currency in Tucker’s world.
Flying too close to the sun
Carlson almost certainly didn’t believe any of the conspiratorial nonsense he put out on his show, but he had other objectives. Carlson was engaged in a very sophisticated game of power that was based on his control of the MAGA masses. If he controlled the mob, he controlled the GOP, and — at least he thought — his bosses at Fox.
But that did not turn out to be true. Carlson’s nastiness appears to have finally caught up to him, and his world has come crashing down. Tucker Carlson was not the untouchable kingmaker he believed he was. He could not go around calling women “cunts”, bullying co-workers, insulting executives and spreading lies on his show that had huge financial implications for the company. Carlson, just like every other network host, was a paid employee and entirely replaceable.
Fox will have thought about firing Carlson very carefully, weighing his popularity with his value to the company in the long term. It is likely they decided Carlson was becoming too powerful and too arrogant for the health of the company. No one employee can ever be bigger than the network, so Carlson was discarded without so much as a thank you.
A humiliation
There will be many opportunities for the now unemployed presenter. From politics to a new gig on Ben Shapiro’s network of conservative grifters — Carlson has enough talent to build decent audience elsewhere. But he will never achieve the same cultural significance outside of Fox News.
This will be immensely crushing to someone with such an outsized, fragile ego. Tucker Carlson was, up until Friday of last week, the most powerful personality in news media and probably second only to Donald Trump in Republican politics. Now he is another Bill O’Reilly, relegated to the fringes of conservative media where he will compete for online clicks.
Carlson will no doubt have revenge on his mind, but as Rolling Stone reported yesterday, executives have compiled a file of highly embarrassing personal details about their former employee:
Eight people familiar with the situation tell Rolling Stone that Fox News and its communications department — long led by the notoriously aggressive Irena Briganti — has assembled damaging information about Carlson. One source with knowledge calls it an “oppo file.” Two sources add that Fox is prepared to disclose some of its contents if execs suspect that Carlson is coming after the network.
The file includes internal complaints regarding workplace conduct, disparaging comments about management and colleagues, and allegations that the now-former prime-time host created a toxic work environment.
Fox News is not the good guy in this extraordinary break up, but it is highly entertaining to watch one of the most repellent race baiters in television history being force fed a dose of his own medicine. He won’t go after Fox, because like all bullies, he can never stand up to bullies bigger than himself.
Don Lemon was fired from CNN on the same day Carlson was shown the door at Fox. Carlson would have spent the week mercilessly mocking him for the humiliating loss of his career. But it is Tucker who has fallen the furthest and lost the most, and he knows it.
America has earned a break from Tucker Carlson’s revolting propaganda, and more than that, an opportunity to enjoy his long overdue demise.
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There was some talk about Murdoch being uncomfortable with Carlson being too religious.
I'm just glad that jackass is off of Fox. Trump will pick him for vice president.
I'm telling ya.... this guy is on Jack Smith's radar. And Jack Smith seems to be leaving clues that Jack Smith is very capable of sniffing out fascists.