‘Tucker Carlson Hated Fox When He Was There’: Dylan Byers on the Ex-Fox Newser’s Feud With Former Network
Media reporter Dylan Byers broke down why the relationship between Tucker Carlson and Fox News fell apart, arguing Carlson “hated” the network while working there.
Byers, a senior correspondent and founder at Puck, joined Alisyn Camerota and Dave Briggs on the Sanity with Alisyn & Dave podcast on Friday, where he called Carlson a longtime “entertainer” no matter which network he’s working for. Camerota is a former CNN anchor, and Briggs was a co-host on Fox & Friends Weekend.
“The one throughline for Tucker is he’s an entertainer. He’s worn every political hat. I think he’s worked for every different network. I think he’s capable of really playing the part, and I’m not suggesting that he doesn’t believe what he’s saying. I’m just saying he’s believed a lot of countervailing facts over the course of his career,” Byers said.
Carlson and Fox News parted ways in 2023 while Carlson was still the top-rated host for the network. The departure occurred just days after Fox News settled a defamation suit from Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million.
Byers’s comments on Carlson come as the former Fox News host has become one of the more vocal voices pushing back on President Donald Trump potentially getting more involved in escalating fighting between Israel and Iran. Carlson and other MAGA-friendly pundits have broken with more establishment Republicans by arguing for more diplomacy and no new wars in the Middle East.
Both Camerota and Briggs argued that talk of a “civil war” in MAGA world is overblown, as many who are on the outs on specific policy will likely be invited back into the fold.
Byers argued Carlson “hated” working at Fox, but was mistaken about being “bigger” than the network, a mistake he claimed former hosts Megyn Kelly and Bill O’Reilly made. In a clip of Carlson on Steve Bannon’s podcast that Camerota and Briggs played, Carlson accused the network of promoting “wars that don’t help the United States,” something Briggs pushed back on, saying he never felt such pressure.
“I think that Tucker hated Fox while he was there. I think there were aspects — I think he thought he was bigger than Fox, and a lot of people thought they were bigger than Fox. Bill O’Reilly thought he was bigger than Fox. Megyn Kelly, probably when she saw herself on the cover of Vanity Fair, thought she was bigger than Fox,” he said. “Fox, to all the data points that you pointed out, Fox has endured better than any of them. Tucker probably takes some solace in getting the boot from Fox because he is aware that that business is also in decline.”
Notably, Fox News is a rarity among cable news networks as its ratings remain strong and even compete with broadcast audiences.
Watch above via Sanity with Alisyn & Dave.
