A glaring disregard for leadership that included vulgar and offensive language pointed at executives reportedly played a significant role in Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News.
Calling a senior Fox News executive “the C-word” in a private message and wanting that action to be made public was a microcosm of Carlson’s behavior, inside sources told the Wall Street Journal, as well as a glimpse into Carlson’s developing demeanor where he came to believe himself “bigger than the network.”
GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SAYS TUCKER CARLSON WOULD BE ‘GOOD ADDITION’ TO 2024 ELECTION
Fox News announced on Monday that Carlson and the network agreed to “part ways.” The last episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight, which began in 2016, aired on Friday.
While the network made the decision sound mutual and amicable, Carlson was reportedly caught off guard by the news that he would not be continuing at the network. And reporting by the Wall Street Journal lends insight into just what Fox executives faced while dealing with one of their biggest stars.
The news of Carlson’s exit came after Fox News settled a defamation suit with Dominion Voting Systems right before a trial was set to begin. According to Dominion attorney Justin Nelson, the settlement amounted to more than $787 million.
But as network lawyers prepared for their legal battle with Dominion, they faced a horde of emails and messages from Fox News executives and hosts, such as Carlson, that were made public. While Carlson using the “C-word” in describing an executive at his company was redacted in a filing, inside sources said Carlson was not thrilled with this fact, instead wanting his dislike of the authority to be known to the world.
The insider sources’ recounting could point to a growing trend in Tucker Carlson Tonight, where Carlson’s populist approach veered past conservative commentary into outright distaste for authority and rules. For Fox Corp. Chair Rupert Murdoch, Carlson’s popularity was mutually advantageous. The host’s steady growth, which rose so far as to generate calls for him to run for president, created a symbiotic relationship.
But insubordination, and perhaps a steady stream of headaches that inappropriate conduct caused for Fox News’s higher-ups, would not land well with Murdoch. And according to the Wall Street Journal, Carlson’s increasingly emboldened behavior “helped seal his fate.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
It is unclear what Carlson will do next. However, his first hint as to a step forward came just hours after his departure in the form of a cryptic advertisement on his website, reading, “SIGNUP HERE TO BECOME A TUCKERCARLSON.COM INSIDER TO FIND OUT WHAT TUCKER’S UP TO NEXT.”
