Former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson’s recent departure from the network has been attributed to his extreme religious comments during a speech he made at the Heritage Foundation’s 50th Anniversary gala.
A source who was briefed on Fox Corp. chair Rupert Murdoch’s decision-making spoke to Vanity Fair correspondent Gabriel Sherman.
The source claimed Carlson’s speech was too extreme even for Murdoch and his religious overtones “freaked” the media mogul out.
In his speech, Carlson labeled abortion as "child sacrifice," portrayed American politics as a clash between "good and evil" and recommended the solution was to dedicate "10 minutes a day to pray about it."
According to the source, Murdoch was particularly uneasy with Carlson's utilization of religious language, which he finds distasteful.
Fox News reportedly made the decision to fire Carlson on Friday night, with the host finding out just 10 minutes before the news was announced on April 24. While the network has not confirmed the reason for Carlson’s departure, the source suggests his extreme Christian nationalist and White nationalist views were a contributing factor.
This is not the first time Carlson’s religious views caused controversy.
Earlier this month, it was reported Murdoch called off his engagement to Ann Lesley Smith, a former dental hygienist who would have been his fifth wife. Smith reportedly believed Carlson was a “messenger from God."
Murdoch ended the relationship due to her outspoken Evangelical Christian views.
The news prompted a flurry of discussion online—none of it flattering.
While Carlson has been known for his controversial comments on Fox News, his departure from the network marks a significant 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 these 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.
