On Wednesday evening, Tucker Carlson released a rather vague video statement, his first since parting ways with Fox News. He never mentioned his former network, but nevertheless hinted that we haven’t heard the last from him. Is he going to go to another network? Will he stay independent? It’s not clear. No matter what his plans are, there may be a problem.
“When honest people say what’s true, calmly and without embarrassment, they become powerful,” Carlson said in his video statement. “At the same time, the liars, who have been trying to silence them, shrink and they become weaker. That’s the iron law of the universe. True things prevail. Where can you still find Americans saying true things? There aren’t many places left, but there are some. And that’s enough. As long as you can hear the words, there is hope. See you soon.”
While Tucker’s fans may hope that we’ll find out what Tucker’s plans are, according to Megyn Kelly there are a few roadblocks in Carlson’s way at the moment. During her Thursday podcast on SiriusXM, she explained that Carlson is still under contract with Fox.
“I wanna, I think, break some news for you. Tucker Carlson hasn’t actually been fired,” she revealed. “He’s still an employee of Fox News Channel.”
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According to Kelly, Carlson was informed by CEO Suzanne Scott that he would no longer be allowed to host shows and was denied access to the company email. Kelly added that Carlson and the network still need to negotiate an exit. In short, Tucker hasn’t officially been fired from the network.
“That’s my information, that he still needs to negotiate the exit and that right now he’s not free to launch a podcast or a digital show or negotiate with other employers at all because he’s still under contract,” Kelly clarified.
Per Kelly’s account, Carlson made multiple attempts to find out why he was being barred from going on the air, but Scott did not tell him. Furthermore, a report from the Independent suggest that Carlson had been in negotiations for a new contract that would have extended his tenure at Fox News until 2029 prior to his departure.
Kelly, a former Fox News employee herself, expressed her disappointment, saying that it was disheartening to see how Carlson, who had helped the network navigate through a rather difficult transition following the departure of long-time CEO Roger Ailes, Bill O’Reilly, and Kelly herself.
Former Top Fox News host and insider Megyn Kelly reveals Tucker not actually FIRED from Fox yet— This is what’s REALLY happening…
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 27, 2023
According to reports, Carlson is of the belief that the Murdoch family is close to selling Fox News, and this could be the reason for his being silenced by the network.
“Carlson has told people he doesn’t know why he was terminated. According to the source, [Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott] refused to tell him how the decision was made; she only said that it was made ‘from above.’ Carlson has told people he believes his controversial show is being taken off the air because the Murdoch children intend to sell Fox News at some point,” Vanity Fair reports.
Carlson’s former time slot has lost more than half its ratings since his departure.