Tucker Carlson’s toxic legacy may have gotten him fired by Fox News, but Stephen A. Smith believes the controversial host will be just fine on his own.
On the latest episode of his Know Mercy podcast, Smith addressed Don Lemon’s exit from CNN and Carlson’s getting fired from Fox News. According to Smith, he “was not surprised at all that Don Lemon was let go,” citing struggling ratings and the Nikki Haley controversy. But Carlson and his cast of controversies getting ousted by Fox News came as a much bigger surprise to Smith considering his ratings success.
“For Tucker Carlson to be gone is a shock,” Smith said. “My initial inclination was to believe that Tucker Carlson was let go because they must have found some additional intel on that phone about that Dominion Voting System. Turns out, reportedly, that may not be the case.”
Carlson’s abrupt departure from Fox News came just one week after they agreed to pay a more than $787 million settlement to Dominion Voting Systems over the network’s promotion of Donald Trump’s false 2020 election conspiracies. But as Smith read from Vanity Fair, Carlson’s firing more likely came after an internal investigation found he disparaged Fox and privately called a top executive the “c-word.”
“Well that doesn’t negate his career,” Smith said of the reported reason for Carlson’s firing. “Some people like The Washington Post and others have said, ‘his career on a major news network are over.’ In this day and age, in case you all don’t notice, you don’t need to be at a major news network to make some noise. He can get a deal with iHeartRadio, he can get a deal with Amazon or Apple or somebody. You don’t have to work for network news or cable news in order to make money and have an impact in this day and age. What the hell do you think I’m doing a podcast for? I don’t plan on linear television being my last stop.”
That should temper any thought about Stephen A. Smith possibly viewing prime time on Fox News as his next career stop, a hypothetical that always seemed farfetched. But Smith admitting linear television won’t be his last stop does confirm he has aspirations that exceed what ESPN might be able to offer.
“Tucker Carlson, he ain’t gonna lose much sleep,” Smith surmised. “I think he’ll be alright. And you know why he’ll be alright? Because he was top-rated. When you’re top-rated, this is what happens. Even in bad times, there’s always a silver lining.”
Last week on his podcast, Smith said he would interview the Ku Klux Klan before joining Carlson’s Fox News show. This week, Smith is finding the silver lining in Carlson getting ousted by Fox News, proving the wide range of Know Mercy.
Carlson will eventually return with another show, but just as it seems his career on a major news network may be over, it’s reasonable to assume top digital brands such as Amazon and Apple would similarly view him as untouchable. Even with his baggage, Smith’s right to believe Carlson will be a sought-after free agent, especially among conservative media companies who fawn over his ability to sensationalize an issue.
