Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson was accused by Fox News lawyers on Wednesday of violating his contract with the network by launching his new show on Twitter, Axios reports.
Fox News general counsel Bernard Gugar sent Carlson’s attorneys a letter shortly after his Twitter broadcast stating that Carlson “is in breach” of his contract, according to Axios. “In connection with such breach and pursuant to the Agreement, Fox expressly reserves all rights and remedies which are available to it at law or equity,” the letter reads, per the outlet.
🚨Scoop: Fox News informed Tucker Carlson’s lawyers last night that he breached his contract with the network when he launched his own Twitter show on Tuesday
— Carlson’s lawyers argue Carlson has the right to free speech on social media
With @mikeallen https://t.co/jHnjjOoYT4— Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) June 7, 2023
Carlson posted a 10-minute monologue to Twitter on Tuesday, his first broadcast since he parted ways with Fox in April. The former Fox host’s argue that Carlson has a right to free speech on social media platforms and should be permitted to talk about current events. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Fox News Lawyer’s Phone Call Is At The Center Of Tucker’s Breach Of Contract Case)
“Fox defends its very existence on freedom of speech grounds. Now they want to take Tucker Carlson’s right to speak freely away from him because he took to social media to share his thoughts on current events,” Carlson’s lawyer Bryan Freedman told Axios.
In his monologue, Carlson criticized the media for its refusal to challenge established narratives and its coverage of the war in Ukraine. (RELATED:’Curiosity Is The Gravest Crime’: Tucker Carlson Returns And Tears Media To Shreds For Ukraine Coverage)
Ep. 1 pic.twitter.com/O7CdPjF830
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 6, 2023
“Nobody knows what’s happening. A small group of people control accesses to all relevant information. And the rest of us don’t know. We’re allowed to yap all we want about racism, but go ahead and talk about something that really matters and see what happens. If you keep it up, they’ll make you be quiet. Trust us. That’s how they maintain control,” Carlson said during the monologue.
His video racked up nearly 90 million Twitter views in 24 hours and immediately made Carlson a trending topic on the platform. At the end of the monologue, Carlson promised future Twitter broadcasts as long as the platform maintained its commitment to free speech.
Prior to his departure, Carlson was Fox News’ highest rated host and consistently achieved the highest ratings on cable news.
Carlson is also alleging breach of contract, with his lawyer accusing a Fox News board member of “engaging in an attempted smear campaign by illegally leaking information about Tucker Carlson.”