A prominent news host’s sudden departure from a major network leaves both colleagues and viewers shocked, sparking rumors and speculation about the true reason behind the dismissal.
Renowned Fox News host Sean Hannity openly expressed his shock and dismay upon learning about the sudden dismissal of his fellow host, Tucker Carlson, revealing that even he, as a longtime fixture of the network, had no prior knowledge of the situation.
During his radio show, Hannity shared his bewilderment at the abrupt termination of Carlson’s highly successful show, which attracted an impressive three million viewers each night. He confessed that he had no idea whether it was Carlson’s decision, Fox News’, or if the two parties had reached a mutual agreement.
“It’s very hard,” Hannity said. “My phone has been blowing up. The hard part for me is I don’t have a clue … I have no idea. Was it Tucker’s decision? Was it Fox’s? Was it a mutual agreement that they had? I don’t know. I guess people think that because I’ve been there the longest I’d have some knowledge or understanding of what’s going on, but… I just don’t.”
In the aftermath of Carlson’s departure, Fox News has struggled to retain its audience during the crucial 8 p.m. primetime slot. The network has experimented with various hosts to fill the void, but viewership has plummeted by nearly 1.5 million.
Even Hannity’s show, which usually attracts around 2.5 million viewers, has experienced a significant drop of 800,000 in just two days. Likewise, host Jesse Waters has lost nearly 600,000 viewers.
Rumors have circulated that Carlson’s opinions may have clashed with those of Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch, including divergent stances on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy and criticisms of Dominion Voting Systems. The latter recently settled a defamation lawsuit with Fox for a staggering $787 billion, following allegations made by Carlson and other network personalities.
As Fox continues to grapple with other lawsuits, such as those filed by voting software company Smartmatic and a former employee of Carlson, some speculate that the Murdoch family may be considering selling their media empire to dodge further controversies.
This theory is further fueled by existing lawsuits filed by Fox shareholders against Murdoch and other board members, accusing them of failing to control Carlson’s provocative statements, which may have exposed the network to legal liabilities.
WATCH the video below for more details:
Sources: Trendingpoliticsnews, FoxNews