- EDITORIAL BRIEF: Fox News and Tucker Carlson have parted ways, and Fox News Tonight will now be hosted by rotating on-air talent until a new host is named. This decision comes in the aftermath of the network’s settlement with Dominion Voting Systems and allegations of anti-Semitic and misogynistic remarks made by Carlson and his show staff. Carlson had been a prominent figure in the network’s recent legal issues, and his exit may have been influenced by pending litigation.
Fox News has announced that it is parting ways with Tucker Carlson, the top-rated and most influential personality in cable news. Carlson’s last program was on Friday, April 21, and Fox News Tonight will now air live at 8 p.m. ET with rotating on-air talent until a new host is named.
The decision comes just days after Fox News and Fox Corp settled their defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for a record $787.5 million over the network’s promotion of ex-President Donald Trump’s false 2020 presidential election claims. Many have speculated that this settlement may have led to substantial changes at the network, and Carlson was a relevant figure in the defamation lawsuit.
Moreover, a former producer at the network named Abby Grossberg recently accused Carlson and his show staff of making anti-Semitic and misogynistic remarks behind the scenes on a frequent basis. Pending litigation against the Tucker Carlson Tonight team may have played a role in the decision for both sides to part ways. Carlson’s executive producer, Justin Wells, is also exiting Fox News.
Carlson spent five years at CNN and three years at MSNBC before joining Fox News in 2009 as a contributor. In November 2016, he got his own show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, and eventually settled in the network’s key 8 p.m. hour in April 2017. Carlson was the first person to hold the 8 p.m. slot on a permanent basis after Bill O’Reilly’s infamous 2016 exit.
Carlson has been the most-watched cable news host and the most influential and talked-about person in the news business for the past six years. However, Fox News recently parted ways with another opinion host on the network, Dan Bongino, due to an inability to come to an agreement on a contract extension.
