Tucker Carlson's Contrasting On-Air Support and Private Opinions
Recently released documents from Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation suit against Fox News have unveiled a surprising side to Tucker Carlson, who privately called Trump a demonic force. The private messages starkly contrast Carlson's on-air support for conservatives and his true opinions of former President Donald Trump.
The trial, scheduled to begin in April, will be held in the courts of Delaware. Regardless of the outcome, Carlson faces the challenge of reconciling his public persona with his private disdain for Trump, whom he has called demonic in text messages. Fox News criticized Dominion for using the legal filings to distort quotes from the network's executives, describing the tactic as "truly beyond the pale."
Tucker Carlson's Private Opinions of Trump Revealed
In the released documents, Tucker Carlson calls Trump demonic force, revealing his contempt for the former President. The messages also include several other notable statements from Carlson:
On Trump's Business History (Nov. 6, 2020):
As votes were counted in the 2020 presidential election, Carlson texted his producer, Alex Pfeiffer, about viewers potentially abandoning Fox News after the network called Arizona for President Biden. Pfeiffer mentioned Trump's low success rate in his business ventures, and Tucker Carlson called Trump demonic in his response, saying, "That's for sure. All of them fail. What he's good at is destroying things. He's the undisputed world champion of that."
On Trump's Plan to Skip Biden's Inauguration (Nov. 10, 2020):
Upon learning that Trump planned not to attend the inauguration, an important symbol of the peaceful transfer of power, Carlson referred to the decision as "so destructive" and "disgusting."
On Interactions with Trump's Team Over Sidney Powell (Nov. 23, 2020):
In a text exchange with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson discussed Sidney Powell, a lawyer for Trump and a significant promoter of unfounded election fraud claims. He expressed his disgust at Trump's silence on the matter and revealed his efforts to make the White House disavow Powell.
On Desire to Move on from Trump (Jan. 4, 2021):
Two months after the 2020 election and two days before the Capitol insurrection, Carlson texted staff members about his eagerness to stop covering Trump. He wrote, "We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I truly can't wait," adding, "I hate him passionately."
On the Aftermath of the Capitol Riots (Jan. 7, 2021):
Following the Capitol riots, Tucker Carlson and Pfeiffer discussed Trump's culpability in the insurrection and how to handle viewers who still supported him. Tucker Carlson called Trump demonic force, saying, "He's a demonic force, a destroyer. But he's not going to destroy us. I've been thinking about this every day for four years."
These revelations of Tucker Carlson's true opinions about Trump, including referring to him as a demonic force, present a complex picture of his relationship with the former President. The defamation trial, involving Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch's company, will likely bring further attention to the matter.