Tucker Carlson, former host of the Fox News show Tucker Carlson Tonight, has taken to Twitter to share his plans of bringing his canceled show to the platform. The political commentator calls the platform, "the last big [platform] remaining in the world" that "[allows] free speech." In the video, Carlson states "Free speech is the main right you have." Adding, "Without it, you have no others." The video has consequently sparked discussion on Twitter, as well as a response from Twitter's CEO, Elon Musk.
Carlson was recently terminated from Fox News in April of this year due to concerns surrounding his coverage of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The termination followed the settlement of a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox Corporation by Dominion Voting Systems. The suit ended with a nearly $800 million settlement from Fox Corporation. The suit involved claims that Fox News spread false information pertaining to their involvement in the election. Moreover, there are various other lawsuits pending against the corporation surrounding its coverage of the election. Lawyers claim that the coverage allegedly contributed to the January 6, 2021 insurrection, which led to various injuries and deaths. Similarly, one lawsuit comes from voting technology company Smartmatic, which is suing Fox News for $2.7 billion in damages.
Carlson Gets Pushback From Elon Musk
The video also garnered the attention and a response from the site's CEO, Elon Musk, who acquired the site in 2022. Musk retweeted the video along with a message stating he "want(s) to be clear that [they] have not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever." Adding, "Tucker is subject to the same rules & rewards of all content creators." Musk additionally states that "anything misleading will get @CommunityNotes."
Musk's newfound ownership of the major social media platform has sparked a tremendous amount of backlash. Namely, the recent scandal concerning Twitter's new feature which allows users to purchase the blue checkmark that indicates to other users that you are verified. Various public figures have spoken out about Musk's purge of the blue checkmarks on authentic accounts. Notable users who have pushed back against this new feature include GloRilla, Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, and more.