Text messages obtained by the Daily Beast show former Fox News host Tucker Carlson being heavily critical of the network’s decision to call Arizona so early for Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election.
Fox, you may recall, put Arizona in the win column for Biden well before other mainstream networks were willing to concede.
In fact, several outlets waited days before making the move.
Many on the right believe this helped drive down turnout in crucial areas.
Text messages from Carlson to fellow anchor Bret Baier seem to spotlight how the former host could foresee how things would turn against them with such an early call.
“When Trump loses, he’s going to blame us,” he wrote. “That’s going to be very bad.”
Tucker Carlson in texts to Bret Baier: “When Trump loses, he’s going to blame us” https://t.co/7GBgc7WmeP pic.twitter.com/bwwBfz7MAC
— The Hill (@thehill) May 5, 2023
Text Messages Show Tucker Carlson Criticizing Fox News Over Arizona Call
While The Hill report finds the Trump quote the main thrust of Tucker Carlson’s newly leaked emails, the reality is that the exchange with Baier shows he is heavily critical of the Arizona call and working feverishly to help the network safe face.
“I continue to think the company isn’t taking the [sic] seriously enough,” he told Baier the following day. “We need to do something to reassure our core audience. They’re our whole business model.”
Carlson asked if there was some way he could help keep the Fox News Decision Desk from making any other premature calls.
“Do we have a plan for this? We could lose our audience,” he fretted.
Carlson was right… Fox was wrong. https://t.co/QGVfhO1XrT
— Florida Forever (@1floridaforever) May 5, 2023
After Baier responded that he had pushed the network to not be so hasty with their election calls, Carlson requested he be kept abreast of the situation.
“We could really fuck up a lot of what we’ve built,” he said, to which Baier agreed.
That broadcast lives in infamy. https://t.co/BctfraPZxw
— Elizabeth M.Economou (@EMECONOMOU) May 5, 2023
RELATED: Tucker Carlson Blasts Fox News For Cutting Away From Trump Press Conference On Alleged Voter Fraud
Carlson Wasn’t Happy With the Call Back THEN
You may recall that Tucker Carlson was visibly irritated with the Arizona call during the Election Night broadcast, calling out then-politics editor Chris Stirewalt for making the announcement and then defending it.
“I’m not privy to the math, I’m not certain how, even after the explanation from Chris Stirewalt, how that decision was made,” Carlson criticized.
“I think our viewers trust us, but people are concerned.”
And now you have Tucker Carlson openly pushing back on Fox News calling Arizona for Biden.
“I’m not privy to the math, I’m not certain how, even after the explanation from Chris Stirewalt, how that decision was made… I think our viewers trust us, but people are concerned.” pic.twitter.com/7oizkc0ZFV
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) November 4, 2020
Days later, Carlson took a shot at Fox after they cut away from a press conference held by Team Trump regarding unproven allegations of voter fraud.
Anchor Neil Cavuto cut away from the event when Trump’s team referenced “illegal votes.”
“She’s charging the other side as welcoming fraud and welcoming illegal voting,” Cavuto said. “Unless she has more details to back that up, I can’t in good countenance continue to show you this.”
Neil Cavuto cuts away from White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany because he deems her words too dangerous to hear.
Instead of letting us decide, he interprets her meaning for us, even using words she never said.
Fox News: We Report & We Decide (shut up and obey). pic.twitter.com/fDPfoNhVvM
— Xeriland (@Xeriland) November 10, 2020
Carlson on his own broadcast argued that it’s not the network’s job to cut away from things they believe are false, it’s their job to present the news and commentary and let their viewers decide.
“In a democracy, you can’t ignore honest questions from citizens,” Carlson said. “You can’t dismiss them out of hand as crazy or immoral for asking. You can’t just cut away from coverage you don’t like.”
TUCKER: “You can’t just cut away from coverage you don’t like” pic.twitter.com/7wsDLc0evK
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 10, 2020
Interestingly, the latest text messages show Carlson was already seemingly annoyed with having to work at Fox News.
“I’ve got four more years here,” Carlson said, referencing a need to keep viewers happy after the Arizona call. “I’m stuck with Fox. Got to do whatever I can to keep our numbers up and our viewers happy.”
After his firing last month, the network’s numbers are down and their viewers are definitely not happy.
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