Rupert Murdoch has sacked Tucker Carlson after he was dismayed by his increasing focus on religion, according to a new report in Vanity Fair.
Carlson was fired without notice Monday morning after helming Fox News’ prime-time hit show for seven years. There has been much speculation as to what sealed his fate.
Some sources say Murdoch and other Fox News executives were outraged by Carlson’s unflattering remarks about them that were made public in Dominion’s lawsuit record. Others say it is due to a discrimination lawsuit recently filed against him and some of his senior staff by a former booking producer.
Gabriel Sherman of Vanity Fair attributes this to Carlson’s remarks about good, bad, and prayer during a speech he gave on Friday night, after his last show.
And Vanity Fair sources say the religious overtones pushed Murdoch over the edge.
These things upset Robert. He does not like all spiritual talk.
On Friday night, Tucker Carlson gave a 36-minute speech at the Heritage Foundation where he lamented not praying more and despaired about the future of America.
The religious remarks come just weeks after Murdoch’s ex-fiancée, Anne Leslie Smith, described Carlson as a “messenger from God”.
The couple discussed religion during a recent dinner at Murdoch’s Bel Air Vineyard. Murdoch called off the brief engagement after two weeks.
He was the keynote speaker at the Heritage Foundation’s 50th anniversary gala, and used his speech to talk about the growing need for prayer in America and the “fraudulent debates” in which he found himself caught up.
In his 36-minute speech, Carlson lamented the lack of increased prayer and said that he — unlike the rest of the country — was paid for his opinion.
He criticized the “herd mentality” that many fell into during “George Floyd and Covid,” and people are not “trained” to speak out against ideas they disagree with.
We should stop engaging in these completely fraudulent debates, using the terms we used in 1991 when I started at The Heritage Foundation, as if I could win the argument if I gathered more facts.
‘I tried. this is not working. And second, maybe we should all just take 10 minutes a day to say a prayer about it. I’m serious. Why not?
And I tell you this not as some kind of missionary, I say it literally to you as one of the bishops, the Samaritans of our time. I am coming to you from the most humble and humble theological position. I am literally an Episcopalian.
“And I even concluded that it might be worth taking just 10 minutes out of your busy schedule to say a prayer for the future, and I hope you do.”
Carlson also called some pro-choice arguments “evil”, and equated abortion with “child sacrifice”.
Rupert Murdoch hosted Carlson with his ex-fiancée, Ann Leslie Smith, for dinner recently. gushed that Carlson is “a messenger from God”
Tucker Carlson pictured for the first time since leaving Fox with his wife, Susan, in Florida last night
“When people, or crowds of people, or the largest crowd of people of all, which is the federal government, the largest human organization in human history, decides that the goal is to destroy things, to destroy for its own sake,” demolish it, “what you are seeing is not a political movement. It is evil. It is evil.” .
This is not necessarily just a Christian idea, this is a kind of widely agreed upon understanding of good and evil.
“Goodness is characterized by order, quietness, tranquility, peace, whatever you want to call it, lack of conflict, cleanliness. clean is from belief.
“And evil is characterized by their opposites. Violence, hate, turmoil, division, confusion and filth.
So if you are all involved in the things that produce the last hits basket, then what you are really standing for is evil.
That’s just right. I am not advocating a religious war. far from it. I’m just asking for recognition of what we’re seeing.
A representative for Mr. Murdoch at News Corp did not immediately respond to inquiries about the Vanity Fair report.
Carlson was spotted outside his home in Florida by DailyMail.com last night.
In his first public remarks about his dismissal, he joked, “Retirement is great so far! I haven’t had dinner with my wife on a weeknight in seven years.”
“Appetizers plus appetizers!”
He has not yet confirmed his next move.
