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Newsmax is pleased about Tucker Carlson's departure from Fox News, saying his exit will drive more of Fox's viewers to the cable news channel and other conservative media outlets.
"For a while, Fox News has been moving to become establishment media, and Tucker Carlson's removal is a big milestone in that effort," Newsmax Media CEO Christopher Ruddy told Newsweek. "Millions of viewers who liked the old Fox News have made the switch to Newsmax, and this will only fuel that trend."
In a startling announcement on Monday, Fox News Media said that the network and Carlson had agreed to "part ways" and that his last show had aired this past Friday. Carlson, who had been with Fox since 2009, was among the most-watched show hosts at Fox—at one point, he had the highest-rated cable program in the U.S.—and a huge moneymaker for the network.
But the Tucker Carlson Tonight host was well known for pushing conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election and was a liability for Fox at times. That became evident in recent weeks as a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News headed for trial.
Last Tuesday, just as the trial was about to begin, Fox reached a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion that meant Carlson wouldn't have to testify, as was expected, along with other top Fox News hosts. Dominion had alleged in its lawsuit that Carlson aired election-fraud claims about the voting machine company on his show but expressed doubts about those claims in private messages.
Carlson was widely viewed as one of the leading voices on the political right, and his departure from Fox News will likely shake up the media landscape. On Monday, Ruddy suggested Carlson's exit is part of a growing trend in which American audiences are switching away from Fox News to more right-wing outlets. Newsmax rose to prominence during the 2020 election, when a sixfold increase in viewership elevated the network to a formidable Fox rival.
However, those ratings are still nowhere close to those of Fox, which remains the nation's most-watched cable news network. Newsmax's average household audience represents less than 0.1 percent of all TV households, which is 92 percent lower than the figure for Fox News, according to Nielsen.
A March 2021 survey from Pew Research Center found that large majorities of Newsmax viewers were likely to watch Fox as well and that Fox News had four times the viewers that Newsmax did.
The survey found that Fox was well liked not only by conservative Republicans. A substantial number of Democrats and moderate and liberal Republicans also watched the network, unlike Newsmax, which was primarily watched by conservative Republicans. In addition, Fox attracted equal portions of white, Black and Hispanic Americans, while Newsmax's audience was largely made up of older and white Americans.
And even among Newsmax viewers, a majority, 77 percent, were also tuning into Fox News for political news.
On Monday, others on the far right like Kari Lake, a former GOP candidate for Arizona governor, joined Newsmax in celebrating Tucker's departure.
"The best decision I ever made was leaving Fox. Good for you,@TuckerCarlson. You're free & uncensored!" Lake tweeted.
MAGA supporter @carrieksada wrote on Twitter, "Somehow I doubt Tucker Carlson will lose any sleep over parting with sinking ship, Fox News. He will land on his feet, bigger and better. You will see."
Following Monday's news about his exit from Fox News, Carlson has not disclosed any plans.
About the writer
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek senior reporter based in New York City. She has covered U.S. politics and culture extensively. ... Read more