Former Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson announced Tuesday his show will air exclusively on Twitter going forward.
Carlson tweeted a short video breaking the news about where his program will air. “You often hear people say the news is full of lies. But most of the time that’s not exactly right. Much of what you see on television or read in The New York Times is in fact true in the literal sense,” he began.
We’re back. pic.twitter.com/sG5t9gr60O
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) May 9, 2023
“But that doesn’t make it true. It’s not true. At the most basic level, the news you consume is a lie. A lie of the stealthiest and most insidious kind. Facts have been withheld on purpose along with proportion and perspective. You are being manipulated,” Carlson continued.
“After more than 30 years in the middle of it, we could tell you stories. The best you can hope for in the news business at this point is the freedom to tell the fullest truth that you can. But there are always limits. And you know that if you bump up against those limits often enough, you will be fired for it.”
“Amazingly, as of tonight, there aren’t many platforms left that allow free speech,” Carlson continued. “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. 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 you see analyzed on Twitter comes from media organizations that are themselves thinly disguised propaganda outlets. You see it on cable news, you talk about it on Twitter. The result may feel like a debate but actually the gatekeepers are still in charge. We think that’s a bad system.”
“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,” he said.
Carlson concluded by teasing “some other things” and emphasizing the importance of free speech.
Fox News parted ways with Carlson on April 24, and key demographic ratings in his 8 p.m. slot have plummeted since his departure. His show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” was often ranked the highest-rated cable news show and beloved by conservatives. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Breaks Silence, Goes Live With Statement On Social Media)
Tapes of Carlson were previously leaked to left-wing group Media Matters, and a text message was sent to The New York Times (NYT) attempting to discredit Carlson. Fox News sent Media Matters a cease-and-desist letter Friday after conservatives praised Carlson’s conduct and criticized the leaks.