Trump Jr. Says Tucker Carlson Exit From Fox News ‘Changes Things Permanently’

Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle attend former President Donald Trump's press conference following his court appearance over an alleged hush-money payment, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on April 4, 2023. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., said that Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News “changes things permanently” in the media landscape.

“I mean, I think it changes things permanently. That’s one of the few voices in the Republican party that would call out the nonsense from GOP senators, governors, and otherwise. You know, an actual thought leader in conservatism,” Trump Jr. told conservative podcast host Charlie Kirk on Monday.

Describing Fox’s decision as “actually mind-blowing,” Trump Jr. said Carlson was a “once-in-a-generation type talent.”

In a brief statement, Fox News said that it and Carlson “have agreed to part ways,” adding, “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”

The Rupert Murdoch-owned company stated that it would fill the 8 p.m. ET hour with a rotation of Fox News personalities until a new host is named. Carlson’s final Fox News show was on Friday, April 21, and he gave no indication that it would be his final appearance on the network.

“I hope whatever he does, he continues to be that voice for conservatism because, again, he’s one of the few people pushing those boundaries,” Trump Jr. remarked.

His father, former President Donald Trump, has not yet weighed in on Carlson’s departure on social media or elsewhere. He, however, celebrated Don Lemon’s departure from CNN on Monday in a Truth Social post but asked, “What took them so long?”

Both Lemon and CNN confirmed via social media that he departed the network. However, Lemon issued a cryptic comment that “there are larger issues at play,” claiming that CNN’s management did not inform him and instead, an agent told him of his ouster.

Following the 2020 election, the former president has had an acrimonious relationship with Fox News and has often claimed the network is committing business and tactical mistakes. The former president has also made fewer appearances on the network, although he recently was interviewed by Carlson more than a week ago and days before that, he gave an interview with Fox’s Sean Hannity.

“Wow! Fox News is really pushing the Democrats and the Democrat agenda,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in September 2022, or two months before he announced his 2024 White House run. “Gets worse every single day. So many Dems interviewed with only softball questions, then Republican counterparts get creamed.”

At the time, Trump suggested that Fox News’ perceived catering to Democrats leaves an opening for other media outlets.

Several former Fox News hosts reacted to Carlson’s departure, with Megyn Kelly saying it was a “terrible move” on Fox News’ behalf. Former host and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee told Newsmax that the move was “a shocker.

“He was a huge presence in the conservative news force,” he said. “And for it to be so abrupt. This isn’t like ‘Hey, in two weeks, I’m gonna be leaving. I want to spend more time with my family’ … it was like, ‘it’s over. We parted ways. The last show has already been aired.’ So there’s clearly a backstory,” he said.

Fox Corporation stock fell 5 percent midday Monday on the news that popular host Tucker Carlson was leaving the network, wiping out tens of millions of value from the company.

Class A shares in Fox Corporation, which owns Fox News, dropped as much as 5.4 percent by midday to as low as $29.27 per share. It came just minutes after the company confirmed that Carlson would be leaving the channel, effective immediately.

According to Bloomberg News, the stock drop wiped out as much as $590 million from Fox’s value. Other outlets claimed that upwards of $960 million was wiped out.

By the end of trading on Monday, Fox’s shares were ticking up. As of 4 p.m. ET, the company was down about 3 percent.