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Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson made a surprise announcement on Tuesday that he would be launching a new show on Twitter, signaling the breakdown of negotiations to reach a separation agreement with the network where he is still under contract.
In a three-minute monologue delivered directly to the camera on Twitter, Carlson declared, “We’re back,” but offered no details regarding the content, format, or release date of his new program.
\u201cWe\u2019re back.\u201d— Tucker Carlson (@Tucker Carlson) 1683664970
It’s also unclear whether Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, has a role in the production of the show or if Carlson would be compensated for his work but Musk was quick to make clarifications about their relationship.
In response to Carlson’s tweet, Musk stated that “we have not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever,” implying that any agreement between the two had not yet been reached.
Musk called Carlson's tweet "misleading" and clarified that Carlson will just be a content creator on the platform:
"Tucker is subject to the same rules [and] rewards of all content creators."
"Rewards means subscriptions and advertising revenue share (coming soon), which is a function of how many people subscribe and the advertising views associated with the content."
"I hope that many others, particularly from the left, also choose to be content creators on this platform."
You can see Musk's tweet below.
\u201cOn this platform, unlike the one-way street of broadcast, people are able to interact, critique and refute whatever is said. \n\nAnd, of course, anything misleading will get @CommunityNotes. \n\nI also want to be clear that we have not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever. Tucker is\u2026\u201d— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk) 1683675097
Both Carlson and Musk have been widely mocked online following the video's release.
\u201cIf you're pissed off that Elon Musk is hosting Tucker Carlson on Twitter, please take a few minutes to block Twitter's advertisers. It's a small but meaningful statement.\u201d— Mark Jacob (@Mark Jacob) 1683665940
\u201cElon Musk and Tucker Carlson are really going after the coveted "incel with disposable income" demographic.\u201d— Rex Huppke (@Rex Huppke) 1683671086
\u201cCarlson, who demonizes the media in this video & accuses journalists of excluding facts that detract from their narratives, does not mention Musk has himself censored speech on Twitter while asserting the site is the last remaining free speech platform. Weird how that works!\u201d— Oliver Darcy (@Oliver Darcy) 1683665238
\u201cIs it good Tucker Carlson is moving his show to Twitter? It\u2019s good for Musk & his rising debts. It\u2019s bad for the banks underwriting his debt, however, as this will radicalize viewers more. Twitter is becoming the go-to platform tolerant of & incentivizing hyper-partisan rhetoric.\u201d— Nora Benavidez (@Nora Benavidez) 1683667605
\u201cMusk is already backtracking on a deal with Tucker Carlson. I wonder what Rupert Murdoch has on him.\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1683681726
\u201c@TuckerCarlson Tucker is rebooting his image and wants you to believe that after a career of punditry and misleading and confusing people under the guise of entertainment\u2014that was laundered via soundbites into fake news cycles\u2014he\u2019s suddenly a beacon of truth and the world\u2019s most ethical newsman\u201d— Tucker Carlson (@Tucker Carlson) 1683664970
\u201cMusk and Carlson will be buddy-buddy for approximately 10 days and then screech at each other like enraged spider monkeys and every adult bedwetter who loves The Turner Diaries will be forced to choose sides and it\u2019s going to be fantastic, just fantastic. Can\u2019t wait.\u201d— Ed Burmila (@Ed Burmila) 1683670259
\u201cMUSK: "Hey, we need advertisers!"\n\nCORPS: "Twitter's brand is toxic due to the rise of white supremacist content."\n\nMUSK: "Ladies and gentlemen, here's Tucker Carlson!"\n\nCORPS: \ud83d\udc4b\ud83c\udf2c\ufe0f\u23e9\u201d— StrictlyChristo \uea00\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf3b (@StrictlyChristo \uea00\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf3b) 1683670687
While Carlson’s move to Twitter provides him with a platform to reach his audience, it also presents a challenge to his future as a prominent figure in conservative media.
Fox News, where Carlson was previously a prime-time host, has the power to block any attempt by him to return to the network, and it is uncertain whether his contract with Fox permits him to host a show on an alternate platform.
Musk has been advocating for content creators to embrace Twitter as their sole distribution channel, and the platform has recently unveiled subscription functionalities aimed at generating substantial revenue while reducing reliance on advertising.