(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is reportedly raising capital to start his own media company.
Puck News broke the bombshell story about Carlson’s aspirations Wednesday, two days after the eight remaining members of Fox’s Tucker Carlson Tonight team were told that they would need to leave by mid-July, with the option to reapply for new positions. Puck News said Carlson will bring the “vast majority” of those employees to his new venture.
Currently, Carlson is releasing roughly 10-minute unsponsored segments on Twitter, getting millions of views in the process. Puck News reported that this could be a temporary endeavor to attract attention for Carlson’s next move.
“It’s increasingly possible that the Twitter show is a top-of-funnel play for other things Tucker may soon have cooking,” said Puck News writer Dylan Byers. “In fact, I am told he is raising capital to launch a new company that may yet prove more influential.”
Meanwhile, Carlson is still in a legal dispute with his former employer. Fox has accused Carlson of breaching his contract by airing his Twitter show, while Carlson’s attorney is accusing Fox of violating his client’s free-speech rights.
It’s still not clear exactly why Fox split ways with Carlson, who was cable news’s most-watched anchor.
The popular news host’s reporting had drawn heat from a multitude of powerful institutions, including the military-industrial complex, Big Pharma, Big Tech, BlackRock, both major political parties and the Fox owners themselves.
Even top Pentagon officials cheered the news of Carlson’s departure from Fox in April. Carlson was the lone cable news host consistently opposing U.S. involvement in the war in Ukraine.
“We’re a better country without him bagging on our military every night in front of hundreds of thousands of people,” said one senior Pentagon official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, according to Politico.
“Good riddance,” a second unnamed official reportedly said.
Top Republicans are also reportedly saying that Carlson’s ouster “probably reduces the loudest voice out there against U.S. support [for Ukraine],” according to news outlet Semafor.
“Clearly, he spooked a lot of members into not being fully supportive of Ukraine,” a senior Republican congressional aide reportedly told the outlet.
Carlson himself has indicated that the war machine may have pushed him out at Fox. “Ha! I’m sure,” he told Politico in a text message in a response to the celebrating Pentagon officials.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
