For some time now, Tucker Carlson’s nightly broadcast of white nationalism and anti-Biden conspiracy theories has been fodder for Russia’s propaganda machine. Its government has specifically directed Russian media to use clips from Carlson’s broadcasts as a part of the failing war campaign against Ukraine: “It is essential to use as much as possible fragments of broadcasts of the popular Fox News host Tucker Carlson.” They have done so virtually every night since.
On Monday, Tucker Carlson was relieved of his job at Fox. Fox News ownership did not give Tucker one last chance to promote Vladimir Putin’s war effort. No goodnight episode. No official reason. No nothing. In fact, some might even say that Fox News canceled Carlson. As you might imagine, the news of Carlson’s release was met with an enthusiastic freak out from the Russian state media establishment.
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The Daily Beast reports Russian media personalities were beside themselves with grief and bewilderment over the Carlson news. During “The Evening With Vladimir Solovyov,” host Solovyov called the firing of Carlson “a total outrage!” He also reportedly began the conspiracy theory ball rolling by speculating that the “timing” of President Joe Biden’s official presidential campaign announcement was peculiar.
One of his guests, Dmitry Drobnitsky, metaphorically told the Russian host to hold his beer and proceeded to imply that Fox News is a secret liberal think tank propaganda machine. “The main issue is that he started to discuss, in harsh terms, all of the goals that the liberal establishment is pursuing abroad,” Drobnitsky explained, which is a truly fantastical thing to say about the motivations of Fox News ownership. Solovyov also implored Carlson to “come work with us! ‘Solovyov Live’ is waiting for you, Tucker!”
The loss to Russian propaganda efforts is considerable. Carlson’s clips were a cornerstone of the nightly Russian war promotion. He not only provided state television with content, he basically allowed them to argue that what they were saying was supported by an important and popular American voice. His nightly rants on America’s support of Ukraine had become almost indistinguishable from straight Russian talking points. The only other Fox News personality doing much of any rambling about foreign policy is Tulsi Gabbard—and well, she’s Tulsi Gabbard.
Right after the news broke, Russia’s state broadcast network went to Twitter to formally offer Carlson a job.
Responses to Tucker’s possible job prospects abroad came:
Maybe Carlson isn’t interested in being on television anymore. Maybe he’s ready to get those trust fund hands dirty!
Probably not. As this outfit and his general what-aboutism in this clip can attest.
While Russia will definitely miss him, we … won’t.
Markos and Kerry are joined by Aaron Rupar today to discuss what he is seeing in the right-wing media landscape. Rupar is an independent journalist whose Public Notice Substack is a must-read for those who want to know how truly outrageous the conservative movement is. We are addicted to his Twitter account, with its never-ending stream of Republican lunacy all captured on video.
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