Sign the petition: Fire Tucker Carlson for perpetuating dangerous lies and propaganda!
Dear MoveOn member,
Tucker Carlson is finding new and dangerous lies to pump out to millions of homes. On Monday night, Carlson ran a lengthy segment on his Fox "News" show in a pathetic attempt to convince his viewers that January 6 was not a violent insurrection.1 He claimed the insurrectionists were “peaceful,” and “orderly and meek ... sightseers”.2 He showed select footage of insurrectionists, including the infamous QAnon Shaman and others, casually roaming the Capitol, footage which House Speaker Kevin McCarthy recklessly provided exclusively to Fox to downplay the violence.3 But we know the truth. January 6 was a violent, criminal conspiracy led by Donald Trump to forcibly overturn the 2020 election results.
This comes just days after damning evidence was released that proves Fox News hosts, including Carlson, knowingly lied to their viewers to undermine the 2020 election and protect their ratings and profits. Carlson has a history of promoting white supremacy, violent fantasies, and deadly disinformation.4 He is a propaganda machine who helps Fox rake in profit and power at the expense of the rest of us.
You would think that just days after a deposition was made public in which Murdoch admitted under oath that he knew Fox News hosts were promoting lies about the 2020 election and that he did nothing to stop it, Fox News would be forced to change course.5 But instead, they are doubling down. Carlson is proactively perpetuating a dangerous narrative that threatens our democracy and America’s trust in our institutions.
Murdoch and the Fox News leadership have stuck with Carlson despite his past racist diatribes. But this moment could be different. Fox News is in a public feud with Trump, and the revelation that Carlson privately confessed to "passionately" hating Trump could become a liability for them.6,7 His decision to double down on January 6 denialism could make things worse in the $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit Fox News is facing.8 And while Carlson has massively loyal viewers, who are valuable to Fox in the long run, his show has long been losing money because organizers have gotten major corporations to boycott it.9 All of which is to say: if Murdoch is looking for someone to take the fall before shareholders revolt against the company, that could be Tucker or one of his fellow propagandists.
Thanks for all that you do,
–Kelsey, Nakia, Vickie, Amy, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Republicans push back on Tucker Carlson's claims about Jan. 6 assault: "Just a lie"," CBS News, March 8, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/170714?t=13&akid=346978%2E40999114%2Eby_tJU
2. Ibid.
3. "Tucker Carlson Has Exclusive Access To Jan. 6th Security Tapes", NPR, March 2, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/170715?t=15&akid=346978%2E40999114%2Eby_tJU
4. "How Tucker Carlson Stoked White Fear to Conquer Cable," The New York Times, May 4, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/162443?t=17&akid=346978%2E40999114%2Eby_tJU
5. "Rupert Murdoch says Fox stars 'endorsed' lies about 2020. He chose not to stop them," NPR, February 28, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/170643?t=19&akid=346978%2E40999114%2Eby_tJU
6. "Tucker Carlson ‘passionately’ hates Trump, and eight more key revelations about Fox New," CNN, March 8, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/170716?t=21&akid=346978%2E40999114%2Eby_tJU
7. "Fox News has implemented a 'soft ban' on Donald Trump and is avoiding putting him on air, report says," Business Insider, March 5, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/170730?t=23&akid=346978%2E40999114%2Eby_tJU
8. Ibid.
9. “Tucker Carlson Is Losing More Sponsors. But Is Fox News Losing Ad Cash?” Variety, June 12, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/170729?t=25&akid=346978%2E40999114%2Eby_tJU
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