Tucker Carlson is Out and His Russian Fans Grieve

Tucker Carlson, once one of the most influential voices in American conservative media, was unceremoniously fired on Monday morning by Fox Corps. Reports indicate that the decision came following a discussion by Foxnews' owner and the Fox CEO the previous Friday.

 Carlson often earned the ire of Ukraine’s supporters because of his strong bias in favor of Russian policies. As a result, segments of Carlson's show became a staple of Russian Government television where Carlson's followership became so large that a YouTube channel exists on which his show is translated from English to Russian. 

 Though Carlson was apparently stunned by the termination, his strong allies in Russia wasted no time in seeking to bolster his morale.

 The Russian government financed RT, formerly known as Russia Today, Tweeted “Hey @TuckerCarlson, you can always question more with @RT_com," implying that the Russian network could help the unemployed American get a job.

 Vladimir Soloviev, a stalwart figure in Russian propaganda "news" wrote, on his Telegram channel, an open letter reading, "Dear Tucker, Today, the United States mainstream media has lost its last remaining voice of reason. As the rest of the world, we have heard about your decision to quit working for Fox Corp, and wholeheartedly support your decision. You have the admiration and support in any endeavor you choose for yourself next, be it running for president of the United States (which you should totally do, by the way) or making an independent media project. We'll happily offer you a job if you wish to carry on as a presenter and host! You are always welcome in Russia and in Moscow, we wish you the best of luck. Sincerely, Soloviev Live Team".

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 Julia Davis, who writes for the Daily Beast and founded the Russian Media Monitor, told Kyiv Post that "Tucker Carlson's firing is certainly a major loss for Russia's state-controlled disinformation networks. His talking points suited them so well that Carlson's clips have been playing on Russia's state TV with increasing frequency. In fact, his footage was used so often that Russian TV hosts have described Carlson as practically their co-host and colleague."

 Carlson had frequently been cited by Soloviev, and other Russian propagandists, as being "the voice of reason" in the United States and they referred to the American newsman as "our friend."

 Davis continued that the treatment that Russian TV gave Carlson, "stands in stark contrast with the way they usually treat American journalists, showing them mainly their disdain and disrespect. Tucker is an exception, because his rhetoric was in perfect harmony with the agenda that is being pushed by the Kremlin's talking heads — and it was spread to the largest audience on Fox News, a considerably larger viewership than the networks like RT ever had the chance to influence."

 Carlson frequently cited Ukraine as being a corrupt country without resources, and thus not a strategic ally for the US. Carlson argued that oil and gas producing Russia offered a more friendly long term partnership aligned with America's own national interests.