‘Tucker Is a Joke’: Fox News Correspondent Slams Carlson for Making ‘Our Jobs Harder and More Dangerous’

Several Fox News employees and insiders said the network isn’t being forthcoming with employees regarding court filings that contain damning internal communications between hosts and staffers, according to a report published by The Daily Beast on Wednesday night.
Dominion Voting Systems alleges Fox News harmed its reputation when hosts and guests claimed the voting machine company endeavored to rig the 2020 election against then-President Donald Trump. The company is seeking $1.6 billion in damages.
In multiple filings by Dominion that have been unsealed in recent weeks, several Fox News employees expressed concern or outright disbelief at some of the claims being made by Trump and his allies in the wake of the election, including baseless claims about Dominion. Text messages between prime-time hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham show a general skepticism and even hostility toward some of the proponents of those claims, such as Sidney Powell, whom Carlson called a “fucking bitch.”
“We are not happy,” one Fox News reporter told The Daily Beast.
“It’s just a really bad time to be working here,” a producer added.
According to a correspondent at the network, management has failed to keep staff in the loop as to what is going on or what else might be coming down the pike as the defamation case advances.
“Not a word to us,” the person told The Daily Beast. “It’s like it’s not even a thing. There’s been no guidance—nothing internal, not even hush-hush in the hallways. But of course, we all see the reporting, and every day it’s more and more damning.”
One producer ripped Carlson as something of an egomaniac.
“It’s wrong,” the producer said of Carlson’s behavior. “He acts like the king of Fox. Entitlement. Extremely unprofessional.”
Meanwhile, a correspondent called him “a joke.”
“Honestly, Tucker is a joke, and I don’t know many in the news division that likes or respects him,” the correspondent said. “He makes our jobs harder and way more dangerous.”
Not only do some of Dominion’s filings show Carlson expressing skepticism about voter fraud claims, several texts indicate the host despised Trump.
“I hate him passionately,” he texted a staffer. “We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights.”
Elsewhere, Carlson called Trump “a demonic force” and “a destroyer.”
Despite the apparent hostility toward Trump, Carlson also fumed at Fox News employees he felt were hurting the network’s brand as de facto Trump TV.
In one text, Carlson flagged an election fact check by Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich.
“Please get her fired. Seriously,” Carlson texted Hannity. “What the fuck?”
Fox News maintains its post-2020 election coverage is protected by the First Amendment. The network has accused Dominion of cherry-picking information to buttress its defamation claims.
“Under the leadership of FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott, the network has increased its investment in journalism by more than 50%, further expanding our newsgathering footprint both domestically and abroad while providing state-of-the-art resources to enhance our coverage,” a Fox News spokesperson said in a statement. “We are incredibly proud of our team of journalists who continue to deliver breaking news from around the world and will continue to fight for the preservation of the First Amendment as Dominion attempts to suppress basic rights protected by our Constitution.”
New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!
Comments
↓ Scroll down for comments ↓