Fox News surprised those in Donald J. Trump’s circle on Monday when it announced it was parting ways with its top-rated primetime host, Tucker Carlson. The former president himself was surprised by the news, and his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., a close friend of Mr. Carlson, described the network’s decision as “shocking,” according to a person familiar with the matter.
“I think it changes things permanently,” Donald Trump Jr. said. explain On “The Charlie Kirk Show”, adding that Mr Carlson was a “true conservative thought leader” and a “once-in-a-lifetime talent”.
Given that the Fox host’s scathing private text messages were recently revealed as part of the conservative network’s legal battle against Carlson, the casual news observer would assume that Mr. Trump and his family are no longer related to Mr. Carlson, which is Extenuating circumstances. Dominion voting system.
In early 2021, as Mr. Trump was desperately trying to overturn the 2020 election, Mr. Carlson texted a close friend that he “severely hates” the president. He also described Mr Trump as a “diabolical force”.
When the texts were released in March, Mr. Trump got hurt and called Mr. Carlson to talk about them, according to a person familiar with the matter. The pair quickly fixed it, though. Since then, they have spoken regularly, texted each other and appear to be closer than ever, according to two people familiar with Mr. Trump’s relationship who spoke on condition of anonymity. private interaction.
In an interview with Newsmax’s Greg Kelly recorded shortly after Mr. Carlson’s departure became public, Mr. Trump expressed his support for the former anchor. “I’m shocked. I’m surprised,” Mr. Trump said. “I think Tucker is great. He’s been, especially in the last year or so, he’s been fantastic for me.”
Mr. Carlson did not respond to a request for comment.
Last year, some Trump advisers worried that Carlson appeared ready to endorse the potential presidential candidacy of Trump’s top rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Mr. Carlson gave Mr. DeSantis ample airtime and praised his policies. But over the past six weeks, as Mr. Trump and Mr. Carlson have spoken more frequently, the Trump team has grown increasingly confident that Mr. Carlson will not weigh in on Mr. DeSantis, who Got a big boost from Rupert Murdoch’s media properties, including Fox News.
The Trump team liked their odds even more when they learned that Mr. Carlson was disgusted by Mr. DeSantis’ decision in late March to call Russian President Vladimir V. Putin a “war criminal.”
Republican Senator JD Vance of Ohio, a close ally of Mr Trump and Mr Carlson, described the Fox News host’s ouster as a shock.
“Tucker is a giant and the most powerful voice against stupid wars and an economy that puts the plutocrats over workers,” Mr Vance said in a text message. “It’s a huge loss for a conservative movement that wants to do justice to its constituents. I think he’ll stand up and continue to be a powerful voice. It will be terrible for the country if he doesn’t. “
“Best decision I ever made was to leave Fox. Good for you, @ Tucker Carlson. You are free and uncensored! ’” wrote Carrie Lake, a Republican who lost last year’s race for governor in Arizona. tweetMs. Lake quit her job as a local Fox channel anchor in 2021.
Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert struck an upbeat tone in Monday’s speech tweet: “Wherever Tucker Carlson goes, America will follow!”
Joe Kent, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Washington state, tweets“Support the launch of Tucker News Network, the people demanded it!”
A close ally of Mr. Trump said he was glad Mr. Carlson would not be able to provide rocket fuel to any other candidate on Fox’s airwaves. For some candidates in the Republican primary, however, losing Carlson could mean the minefield they had to navigate is now removed from a prominent platform.
For example, Mr. DeSantis’ statement to Mr. Carlson a few weeks ago describing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a “territorial dispute” set off alarm bells and a wave of criticism among Republicans in Washington and some donors. It represents the start of a period of concern about Mr. DeSantis’ expected candidacy, which some see as the best option to stop Mr. Trump.
In Trump’s world, any pro-Trump host on Fox News is saddled with some kind of purpose after the Dominion lawsuit, said a Trump adviser who asked not to be named.
Mr. Trump’s longest-serving adviser, Roger J. Stone Jr., who is also a longtime friend of Mr. Carlson’s, said in an interview that Fox News “basically canceled the country’s Most influential conservative commentator while it’s time to kill the cash cow for the web.”
He predicted Mr Carlson would take his “massive audience” with him wherever he went.
Alice McFadden Contribution report.
