A leaked text message threatens the career of a prominent conservative news host, exposing a possible internal feud and a potential shift away from the network’s traditional values.
As the linchpin of conservative media, Fox News made a controversial move this week, ousting its top-rated host, Tucker Carlson, over a leaked text message. The media is painting this action as a defining moment for the network, with Carlson’s private thoughts on America’s rising tensions and violence seemingly prompting his dismissal.
A recent New York Times report sheds light on the details. Allegedly, a text message Carlson sent on January 7, 2021—the day after the Capitol riot—caused a stir within Fox, especially as they were concurrently dealing with a lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems. This message seemed to have slipped under the radar of Fox’s board of directors and some senior executives until mid-April, according to “two people with knowledge of Fox’s internal deliberations,” as cited in the report.
It seems that Fox’s board planned to bring in external legal experts to scrutinize Carlson’s internal “messages” exposed during the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit’s discovery phase. This course of action appears to be a knee-jerk reaction, aimed at preserving the network’s reputation at the expense of a stalwart conservative voice.
According to the NY Times this is the text that led to Tucker Carlson’s firing due to his “it’s not how white men fight” comment.
Consider that most of the text is him trying to humanise political enemies who have targeted his house & family for harassment, but a passing comment… pic.twitter.com/kgZT88caRF
— Keith Woods (@KeithWoodsYT) May 3, 2023
The Times described the content of Carlson’s message, which revealed his personal reflections on a street fight in Washington involving Trump supporters and an Antifa member. Despite his initial reaction, Carlson’s thought processes shifted, leading to a broader reflection on humanity, empathy, and the dangers of reducing people to their politics.
The Times reported that these messages, though redacted in court filings, came to light through interviews with individuals associated with the defamation lawsuit against Fox. Interestingly, these individuals requested anonymity, perhaps out of fear of backlash from the liberal media, given the court-protected nature of the message.
Megyn Kelly, a former Fox News star and current SiriusXM podcast host, has taken a firm stance on the issue. She suggested that her former employer might be engaged in a sabotage campaign against Carlson, and she has her suspicions about who might be behind it all.
On her podcast this week, Kelly discussed a leaked video clip of Carlson criticizing Fox’s streaming service, Fox Nation, during a phone call with a potential guest. The clip was conveniently leaked to Media Matters for America, a notably left-leaning outlet, fueling speculation about internal sabotage.
In the leaked clip, Carlson expressed his frustration with Fox Nation, stating that the site was difficult to use and needed fixing. The fact that this private criticism was exposed to the public suggests an intent to tarnish Carlson’s image. But the question remains, who stands to gain from this?
Kelly, during her show, pointed fingers at Irena Briganti, Fox’s senior executive vice president for corporate communications. According to Kelly, Briganti is no fan of Carlson—a sentiment she alleges is mutual. Kelly’s bold accusation implies an internal feud within Fox, a situation that could potentially undermine the network’s conservative stance.
Yet another clip damaging to Carlson was leaked to the New York Times, a liberal-leaning media outlet. The fact that these leaks are being directed towards outlets with a clear bias against conservative voices, like Carlson’s, is suspect.
Kelly ended her interview with Chaya Raichik, the founder of Libs of TikTok, by reiterating her belief that Briganti was behind the leaks, adding that Carlson wasn’t the only one at Fox with a dislike for Briganti. “None of us do. Nobody likes Irena,” Kelly emphatically stated.
The disheartening reality is that the dismissal of Tucker Carlson may represent a broader shift within Fox News away from its traditionally conservative stance. As the liberal media continues to dominate the narrative, it’s crucial for conservatives to question these developments and demand transparency. Tucker Carlson’s case serves as a potent reminder of the importance of maintaining a stronghold for conservative voices in mainstream media.
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Sources: Conservativebrief, NYtimes
