Tucker Carlson news – live: Fired Fox News host’s sexist comments about fans revealed as Newsmax ratings climb
Tucker Carlson broke his silence in a Twitter video message where he hinted that Americans will be seeing him soon
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Tucker Carlson’s sexist comments about fans have come to light after he was fired from Fox News this week.
The right-wing host was caught on video making inappropriate comments about women and his “postmenopausal fans”, according to The New York Times.
In one video, Carlson is heard off-camera talking about whether his “postmenopausal fans” would like how he looks on his primetime show while in a second he refers to a woman as “yummy”.
This comes amid reports that the discovery of offensive and crude text messages sent by Carlson played a key factor in his sudden ousting.
Meanwhile, former producer Abby Grossberg’s lawsuit – alleging Carlson’s “derogatory comments towards women” and “misogyny” – is also said to have contributed to a “crisis” at the network.
However, Fox News’ ratings have plunged since Carlson’s exit while smaller right-wing rival network Newsmax has seen a spike in primetime viewers.
The ratings come as Carlson broke his silence in a Twitter video on Wednesday night, making thinly veiled jabs at his former employer as well as media reports outlining the likely motivations behind his exit.
Tucker Carlson’s private messages and damaging lawsuits spark ‘crisis’ at Fox News
Tucker Carlson’s comeback video gets more views than his primetime Fox News show did
Tucker Carlson was caught making inappropriate comments about ‘postmenopausal fans’ before Fox News fired him
Why was Tucker Carlson fired from Fox News?
A rival channel, a podcast or a foray into politics? Tucker Carlson teases his next move after Fox exit
Joe Scarborough: ‘There’s no conspiracy theory here. This is something that would get you fired anywhere'
Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, criticised speculation about Tucker Carlson’s firing after overlapping reports from several publications outlined allegations surrounding Carlson, including offensive remarks about colleagues and others, echoing accusations in a recent lawsuit from a former producer.
“There’s not a corporation in America, there’s not a company in America, where a worker could say that about a female boss and survive. Not one,” he said on his Thursday programme.
“There’s no conspiracy theory here,” he said. “This is something that would literally get you fired anywhere in the United States.”
Gretchen Carlson: Fox News needs to ‘clean house completely’ to see real change
Gretchen Carlson – who sued former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes in 2016 following sexual harassment allegations – wrote a column for The Daily Beast questioning whether the changes made at the network in the aftermath of the massive settlement with Dominion Voting Systems will be meaningful.
“Since my case was resolved, Fox has repeatedly said that it has moved on from its toxic culture. I don’t know if that’s true or not. But we do know that since the Ailes years, Fox management and talent have continued to spin a web of lies to deceive viewers and confuse American voters, all harmful to the country,” she wrote.
She told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Wednesday night that the network needs to “clean house completely” to commit to any significant change.
“If Fox really wants to have a genuine recommitment to journalism, albeit with a conservative point of view – but at least truths – then they really have to clean house completely,” she said.
“When you get rid of a Bill O’Reilly, you put a Tucker Carlson in there and they get even higher ratings,” she added. “They have a business decision to make. I think there’s been a complete shift in the old Fox and the Fox of the last five to seven years.”
Hayes disputed that, but Carlson added that the network has become a “rudderless ship”.
‘It’s gonna get a little mutually assured destruction-y for a few days'
Tucker Carlson’s video was released on Twitter not only during what would have been his 8pm primetime slot on Fox News, but just an hour after The New York Times reported that private messages that were redacted in legal filings in the Dominion case “went beyond the inflammatory, often racist comments of his prime-time show and anything disclosed in the lead-up to the trial.”
Media reporter Brian Stetler also noted that the video makes a lot more sense “if you view it as a rather spontaneous reaction to the NYT story that landed one hour before.”
Angelo Carusone, president of right-wing media watchdog Media Matters, also noted that Rolling Stone has reported that the network collected opposition materials against him, in the event that he retaliated.
“Tucker got mad because he thinks Fox released oppo on him, so he releases a video taking a not so subtle jab at Fox and basically says he is coming for Fox audience. Now, watch: Fox will release more oppo,” Carusone wrote.
“It’s gonna get a little mutually assured destruction-y for a few days.”
Recordings from a former Fox News producer go way beyond Tucker Carlson
Former Tucker Carlson Tonight producer Abby Grossberg, who was fired after suing the network in a complaint alleging widespread harassment and toxicity at Fox News, said she has roughly 90 recordings from her time at the network.
One of those recordings includes a call between Texas Senator Ted Cruz with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo revealing his support for an appointed electoral commission to reject the outcome of the 2020 presidential election to keep Donald Trump in office.
Bombshell leaked audio reveals Ted Cruz plotting to overturn 2020 election
The leaked audio is the latest from a former Fox News producer
Tucker Carlson’s offensive messages about a Fox News colleague ‘sealed his fate’ at the network, report finds
Lawyers for Fox News reportedly persuaded a Delaware court to redact legal filings that showed Tucker Carlson calling a senior executive at the network the “c-word” as Fox prepared for a defamation trial following Dominion Voting Systems’s lawsuit, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Carlson, however, was reportedly not impressed, and did not care that his remarks would be made public.
The New York Times reported similar findings, with the messages that echo accusations in a lawsuit from Abby Grossberg, a former producer on Tucker Carlson Tonight whose complaint alleges widespread toxicity at the Fox News workplace, where Grossberg and other women were routinely verbally violated “by a poisonous and entrenched patriarchy.”
Earlier this week, NPR media reporter David Folkenflik said he heard Carlson describe another person using the same vulgar language.
Carlson also called election conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell as a “f****** b****,” according to messages obtained by Dominion.
ICYMI: Justice Department reportedly interested in Abby Grossberg’s tapes
Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith – who is investigating the events surrounging January 6 and Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election – are interested in former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg’s recordings of Fox stars during off-air conversations with elected officials and members of Trump’s team.
Ms Grossberg attorney’s Gerry Filippatos told CNN on Wednesday he provided Mr Smith’s team with a spreadsheet outlining the contents of the 90 tapes, some of which have been aired or published in recent days.
Talks are reportedly underway for a subpoena so Ms Grossberg can provide federal prosecutors with more information.
“We’re in the process of negotiating a targeted subpoena for Abby’s electronic data, so they can have what they want,” Mr Filippatos said.
GOP senator suggests Carlson’s exit could smoothe support for Ukraine among congressional Republicans
Texas Senator John Cornyn, among congressional Republicans who have defended support for Ukraine against Russian’s assault, suggested to The Washington Post that Tucker Carlson’s exit from Fox News (along with his segments undermining Ukraine and bolstering Russia) could smooth support for Ukraine in Washington DC.
“I disagreed with his position on Ukraine, and I think continuing to support Ukraine is in our national interest,” he said, “and if this makes that easier, then that’s a good thing.”
House Republicans affirm support for Carlson, whose influence in right-wing politics is nearly unmatched
The Washington Post’s review of congressional Republicans’ responses to the firing of Tucker Carlson is a revealing look into how his platform distilled unhinged right-wing outrage into a message that molded Fox viewers and Republican voters, who then brought their complaints to their elected representatives.
“I think he’s had huge sway, period,” US Rep Jim Jordan told the newspaper.
“I know all kinds of people who are like, I gotta listen to Tucker’s monologue,” he added. “That’s one of the things they wanted to do. So I think he’s had huge impact across the board.”
A survey of congressional staff from Punchbowl News in 2021 found that Carlson was the most important Republican voice among people who were not seeking office. Sean Hannity came in a distant second.
‘Tucker Carlson’s legacy at Fox News is that he was a giant phony’
The Independent’s Richard Hall, who profiled Tucker Carlson in the months leading up to the 2020 election, at a critical juncture for the most-watched cable news personality in America, reflects on his departure from the network:
But what made Carlson different from other broadcasters? Stripped of context and the pomp of primetime, there isn’t much to distinguish him from any other shock jock blowhard. He is no great intellect. Most of his arguments and soliloquies would collapse under the mildest scrutiny — which is why he rarely hosted opposing viewpoints. People like him — bigoted, but effective communicators — have always existed in some form.
What made him unique was the platform provided to him by one of the most-watched cable news network in the country. It was Rupert Murdoch who made the consequential decision to unleash Carlson on the country and reaped the financial rewards for doing so.
Tucker Carlson’s legacy at Fox News is that he was a giant phony
A recent lawsuit exposed Carlson as a performer who promoted opinions that he knew to be false. That is his legacy
ICYMI: Tucker Carlson was caught making inappropriate comments about ‘postmenopausal fans’ before Fox News fired him
Tucker Carlson was caught off camera talking about how his older female “fans” would like how he looked on his prime-time show, The New York Times reported.
In another video, the host was allegedly heard talking about how he found a woman “yummy.”
Tucker Carlson was caught making inappropriate comments about ‘postmenopausal fans’
The right-wing host was axed by Rupert Murdoch days after Fox settled with Dominion for $787.5m
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments