Fox News has decided to go with Trumpster Tucker Carlson as a permanent host for the weeknight 7 PM ET slot vacated by Greta Van Susteren. Just in case you thought the network might be tacking to the center now that Roger Ailes is gone.
You may recall that when Fox announced Greta Van Susteren's departure in September, the network also announced that Brit Hume would replace her as host of On The Record only until after the election. Hume has made it very clear he was not interested in hosting the show permanently.
So, starting on November 14, we'll get Carlson instead. From the Los Angeles Times:
Hume issued a congratulatory message to Carlson on Twitter.
Carlson will be the first major talent hire since former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes was forced out of the company over sexual harassment allegations.
His new program, which has not yet been titled, is the surest sign that there are no plans to move Fox News away from its effort to court viewers looking for conservative viewpoints.
Carlson is said to be a favorite of Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of 21st Century Fox, the parent firm of Fox News. Murdoch has taken a hands-on role in running Fox News since the departure of Ailes.
In case you're not familiar with Carlson's work, here are some "highlights" of his work:
- He recently referred to Colin Kaepernick as, "“that idiot football player whose name you didn’t mention and I won’t either;”
- He mocked "American Indians" who feel that the name "Redskins" is a slur;
- He claimed that there really is no such thing as an "assault weapon."
There's every reason to believe we're in for more of the same.
Watch Carlson (wrongly) claim that no man has ever called Hillary Clinton "shrill" below, from the March 25, 2016 Outnumbered.
Here was the perfect chance for the Murdochs to show that they aren’t cowards by giving a liberal host a show on their network; a chance to show that the political bias of Ailes has left the building (at least to a small measure). But, no, they decide to give the time slot to one of the snarkiest hacks on their payroll. The viewers will get more whipped-up outrage, anti-liberal bias and right-wing talking points. In other words – more of the same. Ugh.
In the coming weeks, the Foxies will blast the network with new promos urging viewers to watch his boring show. The PR department at this House of Demons will be working overtime promoting this failure.
I think Faux is incapable of embarrassment over naked election rigging. Not in their DNA.
I can’t wait to see Fox’s spin to try to live down their naked pro-Trump election rigging.
Most recently I’m amazed the Trump whore has been so insistent Russia 🇷🇺 has no proven role in the WikiLeak Podesta hacks. Other than the fact security experts have linked the hacker’s domain to a known Russian intelligence domain the idiot has a point. Newsweek is reporting his pal Trump’s security briefing tied the hack to Russia 🇷🇺 but The Donald chose to lie and deny in debate 3. Can’t wait for Tucker’s defense of that. 👍
Off topic but related to Tucker’s pro-Trump propaganda is the growing body of evidence Fox News’ hyperventilating over the FBI investigation is GOPTV™ activity cooperating with a large FBI element interfering in the election to get Trump elected.
I’ve documented this in a previous comment thread here which I won’t repeat. But an update to this is NBC News’ Pete Williams is directly debunking Fox’s reporting on the Clinton Foundation investigation and that any indictments are in the works.
Additionally, even Fox News reported this morning the FBI changed its story on the oddly timed Marc Rich data dump announced by a long dormant FBI Twitter account. It’s no longer a routine FOIA request release but a “computer glitch”. 🤔