Fox News host Tucker Carlson reassured viewers Monday that he isn’t leaving the right-wing cable channel after a false social media post indicated he was. (See the video below.)
“Over the weekend, we got a lot of calls asking if we’re leaving Fox News,” Carlson said on his show, adding that the timing was odd because he’s in talks to expand the “reporting and analysis” of “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
“This show isn’t going anywhere,” he said. “It’s getting bigger. The people who run Fox News want more of it, not less, and we’re grateful for that.”
The fraudulent post circulated over the weekend, reporting that Carlson was departing his prime time opinion perch for the fledgling Newsmax cable channel. The host was falsely quoted as saying his values and Fox News’ no longer “aligned.”
President Donald Trump, irritated that Fox News called Joe Biden’s victory instead of backing the loser’s baseless claims the election was rigged, has urged followers on Twitter to try Newsmax, which has been promoting Trump’s false allegations.
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that a private equity firm with GOP ties has been in talks about acquiring or investing in Newsmax. Trump and his allies have been seeking to build a conservative alternative to Fox News, according to the report.
Carlson remains one of Fox News’ stars despite occasional advertiser boycotts over his racist comments. Last week Carlson apologized for reporting a fake news story about the ballot of a dead World War II veteran being illegally counted.