Fox aired promotions for Tucker Carlson’s show same day as exit from network

On Monday, it was announced that Tucker Carlson was leaving Fox News and that his final episode aired last Friday, and reports have emerged that the former host learned of the firing Monday morning, shortly before the announcement became public. 

According to the Washington Post, Fox News was airing promotion segments for Carlson's show as recently as Monday morning and Semafor reports that sources close to Fox leadership told the outlet that Carslon discovered he was out on Monday morning.

New York Times contributor Michael Grynbaum confirmed the news on Twitter.

The decision comes less than a week after the broadcaster and Dominion Voting Systems reached a $787 million settlement. At the onset of that lawsuit, many private text messages were revealed from Fox hosts, including Carlson, who criticized the management at Fox. 

The Washington Post reports those comments contributed to the company letting him go.

"Do the executives understand how much credibility and trust we’ve lost with our audience?" Tucker wrote to a colleague in 2020. 

"Those f*cks are destroying our credibility," Carlson said in another and later added, "A combination of incompetent liberals and top leadership with too much pride to back down is what’s happening."

A source said to Semafor, "This is just classic Murdoch assassination — you’re their closest friend, their favorite child and now you’re dead."

Carlson's show premiered in November 2016 and was often the top-rated show on cable news, frequently exceeding 4.5 million viewers per episode.

Following the news, "RIP Fox" trended on Twitter and reports emerged that his executive producer was leaving as well. 

The decision comes less than a week after the broadcaster and Dominion Voting Systems reached a $787 million settlement and weeks after a former booker at the show, Abby Grossberg, sued Fox, citing "vile sexist stereotypes" working for Carlson.