Ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson launching new show on Twitter

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Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson plans to launch a “new version” of his show on Twitter.

Carlson announced the news in a three-minute video posted on the social media platform on Tuesday.

“Speech is the fundamental prerequisite for democracy. That’s why it’s enshrined in the first of our Constitutional amendments,” Carlson says in the video. “There aren’t many platforms left that allow free speech. The last big one remaining in the world — the only one — is Twitter, where we are now.”

“Twitter has long served as the place where our national conversation incubates and develops,” Carlson continues. “Twitter is not a partisan site, everybody’s allowed here, and we think that’s a good thing. And yet, for the most part, the news that you see analyzed on Twitter comes from media organizations that are themselves thinly disguised as propaganda outlets. ... The result may feel like a debate but actually the gatekeepers are still in charge.”

“Starting soon, we’ll be bringing a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter,” the video concludes. “Free speech is the main right that you have. Without it, you have no others. See you soon.”

Twitter CEO Elon Musk took to his platform Tuesday evening to respond to Carlson’s announcement and confirm that Twitter did not make any sort of deal for the new show.

“I want to be clear that we have not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever,” Musk tweeted. “Tucker is subject to the same rules and rewards of all content creators. Rewards means subscriptions and advertising revenue share (coming soon).”

“I hope that many others, particularly from the left, also choose to be content creators on this platform,” he added.

Carlson, 53, parted ways with Fox News in April, but remains under contract until January 2025. According to reports, Carlson will forfeit $25 million in severance from the network to start the new show. Earlier Tuesday, Carlson’s lawyer accused Fox News of fraud and breach of contract, according to Axios.

The announcement also comes on the heels of leaked texts from the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit in which Carlson used obscenity to refer to women colleagues and made racist rants.

Several prominent conservatives, including Megyn Kelly and Brett Favre, have also started anti-Fox News campaigns in support of Carlson. Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch said Tuesday there were no plans to change its “programming strategy” despite a ratings slump and financial losses.

Carlson and the network are also being sued by former producer Abby Grossberg, who alleges Carlson fostered a sexist and hostile workplace.