Tucker Carlson, After Fox News Firing, Says He Will Relaunch a Version of His Show on Twitter (2024)

Tucker Carlson announced that he will bring a version of his Fox News show — which he lost after getting fired last month — on Twitter, the social platform owned by Elon Musk.

“Starting soon, we’ll be bringing a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter,” Carlson said in a video shared Tuesday on the platform. “Free speech is the main right you have. Without it, you have no others.”

According to Musk, Twitter does not have a deal with Carlson. “[W]e have not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever. Tucker is subject to the same rules & rewards of all content creators,” Musk tweeted Tuesday.

Before Carlson was fired, the Twitter CEO appeared on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” for a two-night interview on Fox News (on April 17 and 18). Among other topics, their discussion covered the implications of AI and Musk’s rationale for buying Twitter.

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Carlson would forfeit at least $25 million in compensation to break his noncompete clause with Fox News, according to Puck News’ Dylan Byers. Prior to Carlson’s announcement of the forthcoming Twitter show, a lawyer for the former Fox News host sent a letter to the cable network accusing Fox News of “fraud and breach of contract,” Axios reported. That is presumably intended to set the stage for Carlson to claim he’s not bound by the noncompete provision of his contract with Fox News.

Fox News did not respond to a request for comment.

Carlson was fired by Fox News just days after the company agreed to pay $787.5 million to settle Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit, which alleged Fox News repeatedly and knowingly aired false claims about the voting company’s actions and influence on the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

The letter from Carlson’s lawyer to Fox News claimed that the network’s employees including “Rupert Murdoch himself” broke promises to Carlson “intentionally and with reckless disregard for the truth,” per the Axios report. The letter also claimed Fox News broke its promises to not to settle with Dominion “in a way which would indicate wrongdoing” on the part of Carlson and to not to use Carlson’s private messages “to take any adverse employment action against him,” according to the Axios report.

In his Twitter video, captioned “We’re back,” Carlson said that traditional news is “a lie” because “facts have been withheld on purpose,” and he claimed that Twitter is the only major service where free speech is allowed.

“Amazingly, as of tonight, there aren’t many platforms left that allow free speech,” Carlson said. “The last big one remaining in the world — the only one — is Twitter, where we are now. Twitter has long served where our national conversation incubates and develops… and yet for the most part, the news that you see analyzed on Twitter comes from media organizations that are themselves thinly disguised propaganda outlets.”

Carlson was let go by Fox News two weeks ago. He had sent a text to a producer that marked the beginning of the end of his relationship with the network, according to a New York Times report. The text, which Carlson sent on Jan. 7, 2021, in the hours after Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol, described a scene the TV host found distressing, in which he said “Trump guys” beat up an “Antifa kid.” But the part that upset him was that “it was three against one,” and “it’s not how white men fight.”

Musk, in commenting on Tucker’s Twitter show announcement, said “I hope that many others, particularly from the left, also choose to be content creators on this platform.” Twitter lets creators charge subscriptions for exclusive content; Musk said creators also will soon get a cut of ad revenue associated with their content.

Musk is a self-described “free-speech absolutist” who, before he bought Twitter, complained that the social network engaged in a pattern of censoring conservative viewpoints. He closed the $44 billion takeover of Twitter last fall. “I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law,” Musk wrote in a tweet last year. “If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect. Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people.”

VIP+ Survey: Opinions of Fox Shift Since Defamation Suit

Tucker Carlson, After Fox News Firing, Says He Will Relaunch a Version of His Show on Twitter (2024)

FAQs

What was Tucker Carlson's salary? ›

Fox is still paying Tucker Carlson his $20 million annual salary.

Who is taking over Tucker's place? ›

Jesse Watters, the wisecracking conservative who got his start with man-on-the-street interview segments for Fox News opinion host Bill O'Reilly's 8 p.m. program, is about to enjoy a homecoming of sorts. Watters will take over Fox News' 8 p.m. hour, assuming a role previously assigned to Tucker Carlson.

What university did Tucker Carlson graduate from? ›

Who is the highest-paid female anchor on Fox News? ›

Laura Ingraham's pay-per-show on the Fox Business Network (FBN) and/or FOX News Channel is not made public. However, it is widely known that Laura Ingraham is one of FOX News' highest-paid personalities, reputedly taking home $15–20 million a year from her multiple jobs there.

How much does Steve Doocy earn per year? ›

Steve Doocy, an American TV presenter and political analyst, has amassed substantial acclaim and prosperity during his professional journey. His remarkable net worth stands at a whopping $90 million as of January 2023, complemented by an impressive annual income of $20 million derived solely from his role at Fox News.

Who will replace Carlson Watters? ›

Fox News has announced that long-time network personality Jesse Watters will replace ousted star Tucker Carlson. The departure of Carlson, the most-watched cable news host in US history, has led to a downturn in the channel's primetime ratings.

What is Jesse Watters doing now? ›

In 2021, he published his first book, How I Saved the World. In January 2022, Watters became host of Jesse Watters Primetime. HarperCollins' Broadside Books published his second book, Get It Together: Troubling Tales from the Liberal Fringe, in March 2024.

Why did Tucker's Marketplace close? ›

It was founded decades earlier as Mother Tucker's Food Experience, an à la carte restaurant. The company ceased operations in June 2020, a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the buffet format.

How much education does Tucker Carlson have? ›

He attained his secondary education at St. George's School, a boarding school in Middletown, Rhode Island, where he started dating his future wife, Susan Andrews, the headmaster's daughter. He then spent four years attending Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and graduated in 1991 with a B.A. in history.

Is Sean Hannity married now? ›

Where did Peter Doocy go to college? ›

Doocy is the eldest child of Steve Doocy and Kathy Gerrity. His father is a co-host of the morning show Fox & Friends. He graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 2009.

How much does Judge Jeanine make? ›

Judge Jeanine earns a salary of $6 Million per year, according to Forbes. She is an American television host on Fox News. Only few know that Pirro and other Fox News host Sean Hannity co-owns a huge 1,000 acre Vineyard in rural Ohio.

How much is Sean Hannity paid? ›

2020 Celebrity 100 Earnings

In 2020, Hannity dropped from the number one rated show on Fox News for the first time in two years, falling behind Tucker Carlson. He remains the highest-paid star on Fox, however, banking $25 million each year from the network.

Who is the richest news anchor? ›

1. Sean Hannity. Sean Hannity, a stalwart at Fox News as host of "The Sean Hannity Show," earns an estimated $45 million at the broadcast network and has an estimated net worth of $250 million.

What is Jesse Watters' salary at Fox News? ›

What is Jesse Watters' Salary? After his net worth, it's fair to wonder what Watters makes per year. It's estimated that Watters makes $5 million a year. Given that he hosts two shows on Fox News, that seems like a safe assumption, though those numbers aren't public.

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