Andrew Bolt: Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News sends a clear message

Fox News star Tucker Carlson was fired by Lachlan Murdoch for forgetting one key lesson in the media world.

Tucker Carlson was the most popular host on American pay television. Picture: Getty

Let me explain something Lachlan Murdoch did last Friday night that’s stunned the media world, and not just in America.

He sacked Fox News star Tucker Carlson, the most popular host on American pay television.

That set off jeering celebrations on the left. The panel on The View, the American ABC show, led its audience in a chorus of Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.

But on the right, there was mourning. Steve Bannon, a former Donald Trump campaign manager, raged there was no reason now “to watch anything on the Murdoch empire”.

Trump himself, running to be president again, declared he was “shocked”, given Carlson “had very high ratings”.

Tucker Carlson was the most popular host on American pay television. Picture: Getty

And he did indeed, for being a fearless crusader – albeit one who’d sometimes pushed wild conspiracy theories.

Yet Tucker had done that for years, and when news broke that he and Fox News had “parted ways”, commentators struggled to understand why. Had Carlson perhaps walked?

Here’s what I know. (I should declare Fox News is part of the Murdoch media empire, as is this newspaper and Sky News, where I’m a host.)

Tucker was indeed sacked, and by Lachlan Murdoch, effectively the day-to-day boss of that Murdoch empire since his father Rupert stepped back.

He was sacked essentially for thinking he was bigger than the business, forgetting Fox had dumped or lost other giants before – boss Roger Ailes and hosts Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly and Megyn Kelly – yet soared to even greater success.

And maybe some other stars will realise it’s Lachlan Murdoch who runs the business, not them.

That’s crucial, given Fox News last week agreed to pay $1.2bn in compensation because some hosts went nuts, pushing the crazy theory that Trump was beaten at the last election because Dominion voting machines were rigged.

True, Carlson did not push that lie as others did. He was sceptical.

Yet the court battle with Dominion revealed he knew the conspiracy theory was a lie, but still told another host a producer should be fired for saying the same.

But there was far more to his sacking. Carlson is also being sued by a female producer who claims he oversaw a misogynist workplace, and it didn’t help that an email emerged of Carlson calling another woman the c-word.

Then there’s Carlson’s campaigns. Some were admirable, but others made Fox News look flaky.

Carlson was right to nail the Democrats for grossly exaggerating the January 6 “insurrection” at the Capitol, but he was wrong to target Trump supporter Ray Epps a dozen times as a possible FBI plant who’d incited the protesters, making Epps fear for his safety.

For me, Carlson’s most reckless crusade was against Ukraine as it fought to survive Russia’s invasion.

Carlson had early on asked why the US was so against Putin: “Has Putin ever called me a racist?”

My hunch is that Carlson’s final editorial, on the night he was abruptly sacked, was just one more thing too much.

Carlson’s most reckless crusade was against Ukraine as it fought to survive Russia’s invasion. Picture: Getty

I’ve raised concerns about Carlson painting Ukraine as hopelessly corrupt and the Biden White House as liars for supporting it – all gold to Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, and repeated endlessly on his state television.

This nonsense was dangerous. Carlson was in effect insisting the US let Russia destroy Ukraine, giving China reason to think the US would abandon Taiwan, too.

It made World War III more likely.

I was assured Carlson had pulled his head in once Russia invaded Ukraine, but on Friday he went feral: “Why does the US government maintain secret biolabs in a primitive country like Ukraine?”

Why did it have “sensitive nuclear technology” there? Carlson was again implying the US was helping corrupt Ukraine with biological weapons, even nuclear weapons – a theory that’s, frankly, crap.

Be clear: I’m just speculating that Carlson’s rant on Ukraine was a last straw.

It’s not been confirmed to me, although I know Lachlan Murdoch has good relations with Ukraine’s president.

You might ask why tough action wasn’t taken earlier to make Fox News hosts sing in tune.

But the Murdoch media under Rupert and Lachlan has always had one supreme virtue I’ve admired and enjoyed.

Murdoch presenters and journalists get lots of freedom to say what they think. That’s why there’s more difference of opinion on Sky News or this newspaper than on the ABC.

But the message is now out. If you threaten your station or your newspaper by going nuts, know this: you’re never bigger than the media organisation that made you.