by Former Fox News star Tucker Carlson appeared publicly Wednesday for the first time since abruptly leaving the network this week, posting a videotaped statement criticizing the state of public discourse on American television.
Carlson in the videotaped statement did not directly address his departure from Fox, where he hosted the highest-rated cable news program in the key age demographic on the most-watched US cable news network.
Instead, he took aim at the American media and the American political system.
“Both the political parties and their donors have reached a consensus on what is in their best interest and are actively colluding to shut down any conversations about it,” Carlson said.
“Suddenly America is looking a lot like a one-party state. That is a depressing realization, but it is not permanent,” she said.
«Where can you still find Americans saying true things?» Carlson asked. “There are not many places left, but there are some.”
Despite signing off the roughly two-minute clip with the words «see you soon,» Carlson didn’t give any hints about his next move.
Carlson and Fox parted ways less than a week after parent company Fox Corp settled $787.5 million in a defamation lawsuit in which Carlson played a leading role.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that a tipping point for Fox executives may have been private messages containing what the newspaper called «very offensive and crude comments» from Carlson. The Wall Street Journal reported that Carlson called a top executive the «c word.»
Dominion Voting Systems said in its lawsuit that Carlson allowed discredited voter fraud claims about the voting technology firm to air on its show, while casting doubt on the plausibility of those claims in some of the private messages.
Carlson is also key to additional legal battles Fox is facing, including a lawsuit brought by his former booking chief, Abby Grossberg, who said Fox coerced his testimony in the Dominion case.
Last month, Grossberg accused the network’s lawyers of pressuring her to provide misleading testimony and said Fox exposed her and others to rampant sexism and misogyny. Fox fired Grossberg, saying her legal claims were «rife with false accusations against Fox and our employees.»
