FOX News host Tucker Carlson has long been an on-air advocate for former President Donald Trump, but recent revelations suggest that behind closed doors, he harbors deep-seated disdain for the 45th president, according to a U.S. tabloid magazine.
According to insiders, cited by National Enquirer, Carlson concealed his true feelings to maintain the loyalty of the network's Trump-supporting viewership. However, his true sentiments were exposed when he was questioned under oath in the $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems against FOX News.
Dominion alleges that FOX hosts knowingly promoted baseless conspiracy theories that the company's voting machines switched pro-Trump votes to votes for his opponent, Joe Biden, in the 2020 presidential election. Newly unsealed court documents reveal that on January 4, 2021, Carlson texted FOX News producer Alex Pfeiffer, saying, "I hate Trump passionately." He also expressed his eagerness to stop covering Trump, stating, "We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I truly can't wait."
Carlson's texts reveal even harsher criticism of Trump, with one message referring to the former president as "demonic" and a "destroyer" during the January 6 Capitol riot. This revelation contrasts sharply with his attempts to downplay the right wing's role in the insurrection.
Despite his private animosity toward Trump, Carlson has been known to publicly criticize mainstream journalists for their purported hatred of the former president. In an October 2020 tweet, he wrote, "Reporters hate Trump with an all-consuming mania. They hate him so intensely that at times it's been amusing to watch."
The Dominion lawsuit has brought to light the apparent dissonance between the views expressed on FOX News and the personal beliefs of some of its hosts. On November 20, 2020, email, producer Pfeiffer highlights the inconsistency in the fraud allegations, noting that Dominion was used in Ohio and Florida, states Trump won, and sarcastically asking, "Did they forget to rig those or all part of the plan?"
Public reaction to these revelations has been swift and vehement. One online commenter suggests, "If true, Carlson can kiss his career goodbye." Another adds, "FOX is the definition of fake news. They know the truth but they lie anyway."
However, FOX News representatives argue that the depositions are being "cherry-picked" and taken out of context, accusing Dominion of attempting to "smear" the network for covering the news.