Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is leaving after 14 years with the right-wing network. And his departure is leading to some side-eye reactions.
“Fox News media and Tucker Carlson have mutually agreed to part ways, Tucker’s last show was this past Friday,” Fox News said in a statement.
“We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor,” the company added.
The unexpected announcement occurred on Monday 24 April, just days after the network settled a defamation suit with Dominion Voting Systems.
New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to the news via Twitter saying, “Wow.”
Others were left similarly speechless.
Jon Stewart – who once sparred with Carlson on the now-defunt Crossfire programme – responded to the news with a simple side-eye emoji.
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow trolled Carlson with a tweet to remind him of her programme.
“See you tonight, 9PM Eastern, on MSNBC...,” Maddow wrote.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez then re-tweeted a video of herself speaking about Carlson where she called him out for inciting violence.
“When you look at what Tucker Carlson and some of these other folks of Fox do, it is very, very, clearly, incitement of violence,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez said in the video. “Very clearly incitement of violence. And that is the line that I think we have to be willing to contend with.”
Carlson, a prominent voice in the far-right media ecosystem, was the host of his own show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, for approximately seven years. Prior to his show, Carlson was a contributor to Fox & Friends as well as other programmes.
Fellow Fox News alumni wished Carlson well, sharing their favorite memories of him.
Kari Lake told Carlson, “Good for you” on Twitter saying he can be “Free & uncensored.”
Fox News contributor Karol Markowicz tweeted, “is one of the kindest, realest, smartest people. I originally wrote “in media” but no, anywhere.
Megyn Kelly said, “Good for Tucker. Trust me, he doesn’t need them.”
Carlson’s show generated heated debate in mainstream media as he was known to push conspiracy theories and escalate far-right ideology.
Others celebrated the news of Carlson’s departure.
On The View, the audience applauded and cheered loudly as co-host Whoopi Goldberg made the announcement.
As Ms Goldberg finished reading Fox News’ statement, the other hosts joined in a stadium wave in celebration.
Former Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney said, “After all Tucker’s lies and defamation, it’s about time.”
Actor Henry Wrinkler wrote, “O M G there is a G-D.”
Meanwhile, right-wingers celebrated Carlson’s departure by looking to the future of Carlson’s career.
Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert thanked Carlson for his “powerful voice” in the conservative movement, claiming, “Wherever Tucker Carlson goes, America will follow!”
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene warned Fox News that “Americans are about to quit watching.”
“Cable news is about to be taught a powerful lesson after Fox News caved to the woke mob and fired Tucker Carlson. Americans no longer blindly watch the news like they did decades ago, they only watch the ones who have courage to tell the truth. Americans are about to quit watching,” Ms Greene wrote.
