The US broadcaster Fox News announces that prime-time presenter Tucker Carlson is leaving the company. “Fox News and Tucker Carlson have agreed to go their separate ways going forward,” a statement said Monday morning (local time). “We thank him for his work as a moderator and previously as a reporter.” He will no longer appear on Fox News – his last show had already been broadcast on April 21, it said.
Tucker Carlson repeatedly caused a stir in his programs with right-wing extremist and conspiracy ideological positions. He fueled the lie that Donald Trump won the 2020 US presidential election. He described the storming of the Capitol as a fictitious action by the FBI. He also repeatedly expressed himself as racist and sexist.
Fox News did not provide a reason for the separation from Carlson, who was considered one of the most successful presenters on the station. The report comes just a few days after the media group reached an agreement with voting machine manufacturer Dominion. The contracting parties had agreed out of court to pay damages of 787.5 million dollars (almost 720 million euros). Dominion had sued because Fox News had spread reports of alleged tampering with voting computers in the 2020 presidential election. The sum means rehabilitation and accountability, Dominion attorney Justin Nelson said after the settlement.
“Lies have consequences.” Dominion CEO John Poulos said Fox has admitted to spreading lies about Dominion that have caused enormous damage to his company, employees and customers. However, Fox is still presumed innocent after the payment.