Just a week after Fox News signed an out-of-court settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in a landmark libel lawsuit, America’s right-wing streaming news network announced on Monday it was severing ties with its star host , Tucker Carlson, targeted by Dominion as one of the mouthpieces of Donald Trump and his big lie about stealing the election.
“Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and before that, as a collaborator, “said the channel, one of the components of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, in a laconic press release.
Mr. Carlson made his last appearance on the air last Friday night, without mentioning his upcoming departure.
In the process, Fox News indicated that it was going to put on the schedule, instead of the time slot occupied until then by the figurehead of the American radical right, a new program entitled Fox News Tonight at 8 p.m., starting Monday evening. The show will feature several Fox News personalities until a replacement for Tucker Carlson is found.
Mr. Carlson was one of the network’s leading political commentators capable of attracting more than 3 million prime-time viewers, making him Fox News’ most-watched host.
“Sworn enemy of lies”
Since 2016, the Tucker Carlson Tonight has made itself the sounding board for the anxieties of the American white man as well as conspiracy theories promoted by the Republican right in the hope of strengthening its power by dividing society.
By posing as a “sworn enemy of lies”, Tucker Carlson has above all contributed to normalizing racist and hate speech in the public space, while defending the right to own firearms and the spokesperson for the opposition to abortion and social diversity.
In the wake of the insurrection led by Donald Trump’s supporters against the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the host stood out for the production of a documentary presenting the tragedy as a simple peaceful demonstration by patriots manipulated by Democrats to make Republicans look bad. A congressional commission of inquiry concluded earlier this year that the attack was orchestrated by Donald Trump in an attempt to steal the election results and stay in power in contradiction to the results of the ballot box.
A few days ago, Tucker Carlson unveiled the trailer for a new documentary targeting Canada and Justin Trudeau, accused by the ex-Fox News host of bringing “tyranny” to the doorstep of the United States. . “Are we going to free people living under an authoritarian regime [au Canada], as we have done around the world? he asked.
The network gave no reason for the split with its star host.
Last week, Fox News settled with Dominion Voting Systems, paying it $787.5 million. The amount was intended to end a lawsuit in which Dominion accused Fox of defaming him by repeatedly promoting Donald Trump’s baseless lies about stealing the 2020 election.
In total, more than 7,000 exhibits had been filed in court by the company specializing in voting machines, targets of conspirators. Much of this evidence pointed directly to Tucker Carlson as well as other network heavyweights such as Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro, former star host Lou Dobbs and media empire owner Rupert Murdoch. All were accused of promoting or authorizing the alternate reality on-air promotion invented by Trump to inflame his electoral base, acknowledging in private exchanges the ridiculousness, absurdity, danger and baselessness of these accusations.