Tucker Carlson gets job offer from Russian media as Fox fires prime-time host

On April 24, 2023, in a brief statement, Fox News announced Tucker Carlson's dismissal from the network. The network added that the 8 pm slot commanded by the prime-time host will be taken over by varied personalities until they can find a permanent fit.

The abrupt statement surprised many, including the recipient of the ousting, Tucker Carlson himself, who according to the Wall Street Journal, learned about his fate 10 minutes before it was announced to the world.

Carlson, however, seems to be getting offers already as Russian media outlet RT seemingly offered the longtime host a job in a tweet posted on April 24.

While the reason behind the sudden firing is unknown, several media reports have noted that Carlson's dismissal comes in the wake of the network settling a defamation lawsuit against voting machine company Dominion for $787.5 million last week.

The lawsuit over Fox Network's coverage of the 2020 presidential election revealed a string of text messages from Tucker Carlson in which he appeared to have insulted former President Donald Trump and his associates, including Sidney Powell. In the text, Powell, a lawyer for Trump, was labeled a liar for spreading misinformation about the election.

Carlson was also the focus of another lawsuit in which his former senior booking producer, Abby Grossberg, accused the American political commentator and network of fostering a hostile work environment.

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Tucker Carlson's next career move speculated upon as RT extends job offer to the fired media host

On the heels of his quick departure, many were left wondering what's next for right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson, who hosted a popular conservative nightly talk show called Tucker Carlson Tonight. The show was deemed the highest-rated program for the Fox network.

While Carlson is yet to address his ousting and plans for the future, he is said to have received an offer from Russian state media.

RT, a Russian-backed media outlet, which has previously published news articles in support of Carlson, due to his criticism against Ukraine and its president Volodymyr Zelensky, appeared to offer a job to the TV host on social media.

In a Twitter post, they said:

"Hey @TuckerCarlson, you can always question more with @RT_com."

While Carlson has yet to respond, it remains to be seen what's next for the American political commentator, who has built a loyal fan base over his conservative views and frequent criticism of liberal politics.

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Despite the scandal, it is unlikely that his dismissal from Fox News will hinder the host's potential future endeavors, as several night-time hosts who have been axed from networks have gone on to have successful careers.

Tucker Carlson, who worked as a contributor for Fox News for years, was handed his own show after Bill O’Reilly, the onetime host of the cable network The O’Reilly Factor, was fired in 2017 amid s*xual harassment allegations. Bill O’Reilly, subsequently went on to host No Spin News, a political opinion podcast, after he was fired.

O’Reilly, who also runs a website, billoreilly.com, where he live streams interviews with politicians and writes opinion-based articles, went on to have a career despite being dismissed over a scandal.

Glenn Beck, the former Fox News host who was let go in 2011, also launched a website and hosts a podcast, The Glenn Beck Program, which earned a spot on Apple's top 20 podcast charts in the country.

While multiple night-time hosts have gone on to have careers despite being dismissed from networks, it remains to be seen if Carlson will join his predecessors and continue his work with a podcast or a website.