Amid Radio Silence From Tucker Carlson, What Really Happened at Fox News?

The media world was shocked on April 24, 2023, when news that Tucker Carlson, popular yet polarizing Fox News television host, was dismissed from his post. The ouster comes on the heels of the historic Fox News settlement in the voting machines defamation lawsuit. Was that why he was let go? Here are the top theories on what really happened to Carlson.

The anchor's departure apparently came as a surprise even to Carlson himself, since he concluded his Friday-evening broadcast of Tucker Carlson Tonight by saying he'd return on Monday. Instead, Monday brought the news of Carlson leaving Fox News. Fox thanked him for his "service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor," reported CNN.

The answer to why Carlson no longer has his job as the highest-ranked individual cable news host at the network is difficult to pinpoint. As CNN noted, Fox's brief statement announcing Carlson's departure didn't provide a reason for severing ties with him. The conservative host has also remained quiet on social media.

Media outlets other than Fox have been speculating on the cause of Carlson's sudden departure. Certainly, the recent Dominion Voting Systems defamation settlement that Fox made for $787 million may have played a role. The Washington Post also noted that Carlson's recently discovered critical comments about the Fox executive team could be a factor.

It's possible that Carlson's ouster is primarily motivated by Fox owner Rupert Murdoch wishing to mitigate risk by letting go of the TV host. As one CNN piece stated, a veteran television news executive said the Murdochs likely made the decision this way: “There’s a lot of drama and intrigue, but this is always about managing risk vs reward.”

Carlson has built a name for himself by promoting conspiracy theories and causing legal troubles for the network. It's possible that in the aftermath of Fox's defamation lawsuit settlement, network executives wanted to purge themselves of further risk that Carlson poses.

A former producer at Fox, Abby Grossberg, has filed a lawsuit against the network and Carlson. As Business Insider reported, Grossberg claims Carlson's show was "a work environment that subjugates women based on vile sexist stereotypes." Fox has denied Grossberg's claims so far.

Carlson's coverage of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol violence may have provoked some executives as well.

Media reporters are also speculating about Carlson's next move. Will he attempt to find a home and a platform on another cable network? Or could he try to create his own media enterprise? Experts are looking to former Fox anchors and how they've moved on after leaving the conservative network.

The Washington Post considered former Fox personalities Bill O'Reilly and Megyn Kelly's post-Fox careers, explaining that neither one had nearly the reach they had enjoyed while at the network. Glenn Beck was another loud right-wing voice, and he has enjoyed some success post-Fox, but again, at lower levels than before.

Perhaps there's doubt about Carlson's ability to move to another cable network, since he had already been canceled from CNN and MSNBC prior to joining Fox News. Whether or not Carlson has the charisma and influence necessary to rebuild his platform from the ground up somewhere else remains to be seen.

According to Salon.com, Steve Bannon posted his reaction to Carlson's departure: "Tucker's really the reason to watch Fox." Conservative favorite Candace Owens chimed in as well.

Representative Lauren Boebert, a Republican from Colorado, tweeted, "Wherever Tucker Carlson goes, America will follow!" Plenty of other Carlson fans tweeted their disappointment and outrage that Carlson was let go, pledging their allegiance to any program Carlson might create in the future.