Fox News’ abrupt firing today of Tucker Carlson from his position as a prime-time host set off a frenzy among the network's right-wing media competitors. Carlson’s sudden departure was so unexpected that he signed off his program Friday night by telling the audience, “We'll be back on Monday,” and Fox was still previewing a scheduled interview between Carlson and fringe presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on its programming this morning before announcing his departure.

Some reports have suggested that the move was related to information revealed by the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit that Fox settled a week prior. The Washington Post cited a source claiming that “it was Carlson’s comments about Fox management, as revealed in the Dominion case, that played a role in his departure from Fox.” Other reports suggest that the firing instead stemmed from another cause, with the Los Angeles Times and Semafor reporting that Carlson’s possible exposure to other pending lawsuits unrelated to the Dominion case could have contributed to Fox’s decision.

With the news taking so many people by surprise, many conservatives quickly lashed out at Fox or encouraged Carlson to move to another competing right-wing media outlet — or to start his own. Some even suggested that Carlson try a presidential run or become disgraced former President Donald Trump’s running mate in 2024.

But they can rest assured; with or without Carlson’s specific brand of bigotry dominating its prime-time lineup, Fox is still an extremist outlet chasing the demands of its increasingly radicalized audience.

Conservatives lash out at Fox over Carlson’s firing

• BlazeTV founder and former Fox host Glenn Beck: “To me, this is a suicidal move for Fox.” [BlazeTV, The Glenn Beck Program, 4/24/23]
• Sinclair Broadcast Group host Sharyl Attkisson: “After FOX censored Tucker's voter fraud investigation and videos... this was only a matter of time.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Far-right activist Laura Loomer: “JUST IN: ⁦@TuckerCarlson⁩ is out at Fox News. As I’ve reported in the last few weeks, Fox News has declared war on President Trump and is pushing all pro Trump hosts out of the network ahead of 2024 at Rupert Murdoch’s request to ‘make Trump a non-person.’” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Republican operative Logan Hall: “fox news employs caitlyn jenner and parts ways with tucker carlson. this is your so-called ‘conservative’ news network. there’s a huge untapped opportunity for new right-wing media projects. people are hungry for change.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Twitter personality Catturd: “Fox News just pulled a Bud Lite.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Claremont Institute communications director Nick Short: “Fox News canning Tucker Carlson is all you need to know about Fox. Turn It off.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Former New York Police Department commissioner and Trump-pardoned felon Bernard Kerik: “First @dbongino, now, @TuckerCarlson. Who’s next? @FoxNews is no longer what it was supposed to be. If you now want fair and balanced, you must turn to @NEWSMAX!” [Twitter, 4/24/23]

Right-wing media call on Tucker to start a new show — or even offer him a new job

• Beck: “Tucker Carlson and I have become friends, and hopefully I’ll be able to talk to him today — I don’t know what the situation is. But, Tucker, come to Jamaica. … We would love to have you here. You won’t miss a beat, and together, two of us will tear it up, just tear it up.” [BlazeTV, The Glenn Beck Program, 4/24/23]

• The Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing: “A lot of people are asking if @TuckerCarlson is coming to @realDailyWire. I suspect Tucker already has a plan, but we'd break out the big novelty checkbook for him if he doesn't.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Propaganda outlet Russia Today tweeted: “Hey @TuckerCarlson, you can always question more with @RT_com.” (Carlson has already enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with Russian state media, including spreading talking points against U.S. support for Ukraine.) [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Newsmax host and Tucker Carlson knock-off Benny Johnson: “RT if you would you follow-subscribe -download-sign up for whatever Tucker Carlson does next 🙌🏻” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec: “Tucker should go on Rogan.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk: “Tucker should go to Rumble.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Catturd: “Tucker can start his own thing now and say exactly what he wants. He'll be 100x more powerful.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and former Republican U.S. Senate nominee Lauren Witzke: “Fox News is done. Make sure you’re tuning into the Stew Peters Show for REAL news and conservative content every day at 6pm ET on Rumble and StewPeters.com.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Loomer: “With the news of Tucker Carlson and Fox News parting ways, take a moment to watch my video, which explains how Fox News has declared war on President Trump and all Trump supporters.” [Telegram, 4/24/23]

Right-wing media claim that Carlson was the “only reason” many people watched Fox 

• Right-wing podcaster and former Trump administration official Steve Bannon: “But blockbuster news, which I’ve said, hey, the reason to watch Fox, you got Maria in the morning, you’ve got Jesse, right? He’s getting there. But Tucker is really the reason to watch Fox. With this I don’t know why anybody needs to watch anything on the Murdoch empire because Tucker was the mainstay of the populist voice over at Fox. And this is blockbuster news.” [War Room, via The Gateway Pundit, 4/24/23]
• Daily Wire host Michael Knowles: “With Tucker out, is there a single reason left to subscribe to cable?” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Anti-Muslim activist Pamela Geller: “Tucker is the only reason I, and millions of others, still watched that highly compromised RINO channel. He’s their number one show. I’m  out.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Right-wing Twitter personality Bill Mitchell: “FoxNews is getting rid of one of the only reasons we still watched their network. Tucker is GONE.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Right-wing judicial activist Will Chamberlain: “Real talk, if Fox thinks serious conservatives are going to tune in without Tucker they are grossly mistaken. I wonder how much of Hannity's audience is just people who tuned in to Tucker and left the TV on.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Steve Bannon protégé and Republican staffer Vish Burra: “Tucker out at FOX. I have no reason to watch FOX News anymore. War Room with Bannon is the premiere news source for the Right as it stands now.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• Right-wing blogger Amuse: “Take a moment to show Fox's Executive Chair and CEO Lachlan Murdoch and his lovely wife Sarah Murdoch (both liberals) that you're done with @FoxNews by following @TuckerCarlson - he was the only reason most conservatives were still watching Fox. Big Mistake Lachlan. Big Mistake.” [Twitter, 4/24/23]
• QAnon-associated Patriot_Voice: “Tucker Carlson DOES NOT NEED Fox News. He will be FAR better off on his own show. However, Fox News ABSOLUTELY NEEDED Tucker Carlson. The ONLY reason I watched @FoxNews. IT’S OVER FOX NEWS. YOU. ARE. DONE.” [Truth Social, 4/24/23]