Paul Escandon, a far-right documentary filmmaker, podcast host, and associate of white nationalist Nick Fuentes, claimed on social media that he interviewed to work with one of Fox News’ most-watched television hosts Tucker Carlson and his team. 

Escandon’s alleged interview continues a pattern of Carlson’s team collaborating with and hiring white nationalist and extremist-linked staffers. 

Fuentes is a white nationalist, Holocaust denier, and antisemite. The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection subpoenaed Fuentes this year for his role in organizing “Stop the Steal” rallies that lead to the riot at the Capitol. Fuentes has repeatedly compared right wing figures (like former President Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin) favorable to dictators, including Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

On June 22, Escandon claimed that he “interviewed with Tucker Carlson’s team recently.” He posted this claim on his Twitter and Gab accounts.

Tucker Carlson’s history of hiring extremist-linked staff 

Carlson and his team have a history of working with extremist and white nationalist-linked individuals. In 2021, Carlson’s team collaborated with Scooter Downey, a director of alt-right and white nationalist documentaries. Downey wrote Carlson’s Patriot Purge documentary, a conspiracy theory-laden, InfoWars-style three part series about the January 6 insurrection. The series and its wild claims were nothing more than fascist propaganda. 

In 2020, it was revealed that one of Carlson’s writers, Blake Neff, was pushing white supremacist content and making racist posts on AutoAdmit, an online forum that’s known for hosting questionable content. Tucker Carlson Tonight has also hosted numerous guests with links to white nationalism.

Escandon and his relationship with Fuentes 

Escandon is the director of The Most Canceled Man In America, a sympathetic documentary following Fuentes and his “groyper” movement of mostly white, male, young extremists. The documentary includes scenes with fellow Fuentes-linked white nationalists, including Vincent James Foxx and Tyler Russell. Escandon himself appears to be pro-insurrection, pro-Christian nationalism, anti-LGBTQ, antisemitic, and a fan of Carlson. 

Escandon and Fuentes appear to have a relationship outside of this as well:

• Fuentes described Escandon and his filmmaking partner as “friends of mine.” 
• Escandon co-hosts the CancelProof podcast, which is streamed on Fuentes’ Cozy.tv platform.
• In a Gab post, Escandon described Fuentes as a “well spoken, intelligent young man.” 
• Fuentes appeared on CancelProof where he described Fuentes as a victim of “political persecution.”
• Escandon and Fuentes have appeared in numerous pictures together.