Fox News has announced that Tucker Carlson has been removed from his position as a host following a speech he made at the Heritage Foundation's 50th Anniversary gala on Friday night.
According to a source briefed on the decision-making process, Fox Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch decided to remove Carlson due to the religious overtones in his speech, which Murdoch reportedly found too extreme.
During the speech, Carlson spoke about politics as a battle between "good" and "evil" and suggested that prayer was the answer. "I have concluded it might be worth taking just 10 minutes out of your busy schedule to say a prayer for the future, and I hope you will," he said.
The source claims that Murdoch was "unnerved" by Carlson's comments because they echoed the views of his former fiance Ann Lesley-Smith, who had referred to Carlson as a "messenger from God."
The source further disclosed that Carlson attended a dinner with Murdoch and Smith at the Fox head's Bel Air vineyard, during which Smith read a passage from Exodus. According to the source, "Rupert just sat there and stared." Vanity Fair reports that a few days after the dinner, Murdoch and Smith called off the wedding, and by taking Carlson off the air, Murdoch was also taking away Smith's favorite show.
Following the announcement of Carlson's departure, Fox News said that the network and the host were "parting ways." The statement further revealed that the interim show, "Fox News Tonight," would be helmed by rotating Fox News personalities until a new host was named.
The decision to remove Carlson has led to a significant decline in Fox Corporation's stock, which fell as much as 5% on Monday, wiping out $930 million in market value.
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