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Recently leaked video footage from 2022 shows Tucker Carlson, the ousted Fox News host, criticizing the network's streaming service, Fox Nation, which he produced content for during his time at the company.
In footage obtained by Media Matters for America (MMFA)—a liberal media watchdog that tracks conservative media outlets—Carlson can be heard expressing his dissatisfaction with the streaming service's infrastructure and the lack of viewership it garners.
In the video, Carlson speaks to a representative for Andrew Tate—an incel supported internet personality who was recently arrested in Romania on charges for sex crimes and human trafficking. During the conversation, Carlson voices his reluctance to be beholden to Fox Nation which he claimed no one watches.
You can hear what Carlson said in the video below.
Carlson said:
"I don't want to be a slave to Fox Nation, which I don't think that people watch anyway. We’re gonna—because, you know, I'm like a representative of the American media now, speaking to an exile in Romania and welcoming him back into the brotherhood of journalists." ...
"But nobody's going to watch it on Fox Nation. Nobody watches Fox Nation because the site sucks. So I'd really like to just put the—dump the whole thing on YouTube. But anyway, that's just my view,. OK. I'm just frustrated with it."
Carlsonblamed poor site design for the lack ofviewers.
"It's hard to use that site. I don't know why they're not fixing it. It's driving me insane. And they're like making, like, Lifetime movies. But they don't, they don't work on the infrastructure of the site."
"Like what? It's crazy. And it drives me crazy because it's like we're doing all this extra work and no one can find it. It's unbelievable, actually." ...
"We're like working like animals to produce all this content, and the people in charge of it, whoever that guy's, whatever his name is, like, they're ignoring the fact that the site doesn't work. And I think it's like a betrayal of our efforts. That's how I feel. So I, of course, I resent it."
Fox has not revealed how many subscribers it has on Fox Nation.
Carlson produced several specials and segments for the streaming service, including a controversial miniseries on the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The leaked video quickly went viral on social media after it was shared by Matthew Gertz, the Senior Media Fellow at MMFA.
\u201cIf you're curious what Tucker Carlson sounds like while desperately trying to avoid wearing a sweater for an interview with Andrew Tate, watch this behind-the-scenes video we obtained. https://t.co/XhQlKQVHJ1\u201d— Matthew Gertz (@Matthew Gertz) 1682952639
The footage exposed Carlson to further criticism.
\u201c@MattGertz It's becoming more and more obvious that the real reason tucker was fired is bc he forgot that he's talent... the product... not thr management. The way he talks it sounds like he thinks he should be in charge\u201d— Matthew Gertz (@Matthew Gertz) 1682952639
\u201c@MattGertz Tucker is more worried about looking like he's a legitimate journalist than being one.\u201d— Matthew Gertz (@Matthew Gertz) 1682952466
\u201c@MattGertz Isn\u2019t this the kind of thing they pretend not to do and mock other journalists for?\u201d— Matthew Gertz (@Matthew Gertz) 1682952639
\u201c@MattGertz @KaivanShroff He definitely didn\u2019t want to wear the sweater. But the more important part is how freely he expresses his negative opinions-as if he is (or should be) in charge. He\u2019s hired help - oh wait - he USED to be hired help.\u201d— Matthew Gertz (@Matthew Gertz) 1682952639
\u201c@MattGertz Hope cable companies remember that \u201cno one watches Fox Nation\u201d the next time Fox News wants to discuss carriage fees. #FoxNews #TuckerCarlson\u201d— Matthew Gertz (@Matthew Gertz) 1682952639
\u201c@MattGertz Tucker Carlson: I don't want my show to be bro talk.\nAlso Tucker Carlson: *Talks about diarrhea with Elon Musk.*\u201d— Matthew Gertz (@Matthew Gertz) 1682952466
While Carlson has been known for his controversial comments on Fox News, his departure from the network marks a major change in the media landscape. As one of the network’s most popular hosts, his departure could have significant implications for the conservative media ecosystem.
Carlson's departure came mere days after Fox News paid over $787 million to settle a case brought by Dominion Voting Systems, which argued Fox News and its top hosts spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election being rigged despite being aware the claims were false.
Carlson was perhaps Fox News' biggest conspiratorial mouthpiece and text messages he'd sent to other Fox personalities—which featured heavily in Dominion's lawsuit—showed he was acutely aware of the damage he was doing but continued to lie anyway.