Tucker Carlson spent 14 years with Fox News working his way up to host his own show, Tucker Carlson Tonight. While seen by some as a great commentator and others as a laughingstock, there’s no denying that Tucker Carlson was influential at Fox News. He was known for discussing ongoing political issues, often affirming conspiracy theories and embracing white nationalism in the process. Many are glad to see him go, but an important question remains: what caused Carlson to part from the news channel?

In 2017, Tucker Carlson was given the widely viewed 8 pm news hour slot on Fox News. On most nights, Carlson spoke to 3.5 million people, making his show one of the most watched programs in America. Most often, Carlson reported on local news stories, while twisting them to reflect his opinion that Americans were losing control over their own country.

Although his claims were often ridiculous, Carlson wielded a great amount of power as Fox News’ most popular personality. Therefore, it was a shock to many on April 21, 2023, when Carlson failed to appear on his channel and his departure was announced at the last minute instead. Although Fox News has remained quiet on the matter, it is evident that Carlson was brought down by the two different lawsuits aimed at the company regarding the “truth” they reported and their treatment of employees.

The first lawsuit was filed by the Dominion Voting System. They sued Fox News for reporting false claims about the 2020 election and advancing conspiracy theories about Dominion’s involvement in rigging voting results. Carlson, along with another Fox reporter, were supposed to testify at the trial, as they were responsible for airing the conspiracy theory. Only a week later, doubt was cast on the situation as private messages from Carlson about Trump and the election were publicly released. Many of these messages included Carlson saying he hated Trump and was looking forward to not talk about him. Many were confused by the two companies’ settlement of $787.5 million.

One month before Carlson was fired, another lawsuit was filed by Abby Grossburg, a former producer of Carlson’s show. In the lawsuit, Grossburg accused Carlson of creating a toxic workplace that fostered sexist commentary. In fact, Grossburg reported taking a mental health leave after finding multiple sexual pictures on her desk and the overall uncomfortable work environment. According to other Fox staff, she was misinformed by her coworkers when having to testify against Fox News’ first lawsuit and faced significant pressure.

Tucker Carlson’s downfall seemed to come after both of these lawsuits vigorously attacked the leadership of Fox News. Mr. Cohen, a history teacher at CRLS, stated to the Register Forum that “[Tucker Carlson] is either the most or second-most powerful person in conservative politics. I follow him because I care about American politics and he terrifies me.” He continued, “I abhor Carlson’s politics but I think he needs to be understood because, at least before his firing, he was extremely influential.” After being fired, Carlson tweeted that he will reappear on air soon. Whether or not that is the truth is still unknown.

This article also appears in our May/June 2023 print edition.