Fox News viewers were in uproar after it was announced that Brian Kilmeade would be hosting Tucker Carlson’s show following Carlson’s sudden departure from the network.
Kilmeade took to Twitter to share the news, writing, “Join me tonight at 8 p.m.” in what he likely thought would be a simple and uncontroversial message.
However, it quickly became apparent that Carlson’s right-wing fans were not pleased with the change.
Fox News had announced earlier on Monday that Carlson and the network had mutually agreed to part ways, and Kilmeade was the first Fox News personality to step into Carlson’s time slot.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Carlson himself had only found out about the decision 10 minutes before the announcement, sparking speculation about the reasons behind his departure.
While some pointed to the recent Dominion Voting Services lawsuit and the hefty payout Fox News has agreed to make as a possible factor, the Los Angeles Times reported that the decision was solely made by Rupert Murdoch, the network’s owner.
However, it seems that the real reason behind Carlson’s exit may be tied to a lawsuit filed by Abby Grossberg, a former Fox News producer, who accused the network of making her a scapegoat for their coverage of the 2020 election, according to NBC News.
Kilmeade, who has been friends with Carlson, addressed his appearance in Carlson’s time slot during the show, expressing well-wishes for his former colleague.
Social media was abuzz with reactions from disappointed fans who expressed their displeasure with Kilmeade taking over Carlson’s show. One Twitter user wrote, “No offense to Brian Kilmeade, but he’s no Tucker Carlson. This is a big disappointment.” Another tweeted, “I won’t be watching Brian Kilmeade. Tucker Carlson was the only reason I watched Fox News.”
The impact of Carlson’s departure was also felt in the stock market, as Fox Corporation shares took a sharp nosedive. According to Markets Insider, the company’s stock dropped as much as 5.4 percent early Monday afternoon, at one point trading at $29.27 per share.
While Class A shares did recover slightly, they were still down around 3 percent by the time markets closed on Monday afternoon, as reported by CBS News.
Fox News released a terse statement about Carlson’s departure, saying, “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”
The statement also confirmed that Carlson’s last program was on Friday, April 21st, leaving viewers and fans of the popular host disappointed and puzzled about the sudden change.
What were your thoughts on the announcment of Carlson’s replacement?
