NEW YORK — Fox News fired off a cease-and-desist letter to former host Tucker Carlson, ordering him to stop posting episodes of his new Twitter show following his ouster from the network, according to a report.
Tucker Carlson, shown in July 2022, launched his online series, “Tucker on Twitter,” this month. Seth Wenig/Associated Press
The conservative Carlson remains under contract with Fox, which claims to retain the rights to his exclusive content through 2024, according to Axios, which reported Monday that the cease-and-desist had been sent.
Dominion had sued Fox over claims made by hosts including Carlson that the voting systems were rigged during the 2020 presidential election, which Donald Trump lost to President Biden.
Carlson launched his online series, “Tucker on Twitter,” this month. He has aired two episodes, and his executive producer promoted another on Sunday.
“Next Episode of Tucker on Twitter coming Tuesday: Tucker’s response to the indictment of President Donald Trump,” tweeted Justin Wells.
Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A lawyer for Carlson told Axios in a statement, “Fox News continues to ignore the interests of its viewers, not to mention its shareholder obligations.”
“Doubling down on the most catastrophic programming decision in the history of the cable news industry, Fox is now demanding that Tucker Carlson be silent until after the 2024 election,” lawyer Harmeet Dhillon said.
“Tucker will not be silenced by anyone. … He is a singularly important voice on matters of public interest in our country, and will remain so.”
Carlson’s new Twitter show follows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announcing his 2024 presidential candidacy last month on the website, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk. Desantis is up for the Republican nomination in a field that also includes Trump.
The 54-year-old Carlson joined Fox News as a contributor in 2009 and had hosted “Tucker Carlson Tonight” since 2016.
In a brief statement announcing Carlson’s exit in April, Fox News said, “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”
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