Thursday morning, the Washington Post released a report suggesting that insiders close to Tucker Carlson say the ex-Fox News host has considered being a moderator in an alternate Republican 2024 presidential debate.
Apparently, Carlson has even discussed the idea with former President Donald Trump, who signaled his intentions to steer clear of the primary debate schedule laid out by the Republican National Committee.
However, contractual barriers remain for Carlson, and the cable legend would likely be forced to forego millions of dollars in payouts should he start a new venture – or even host a debate.
The Hill reports:
Carlson, citing people familiar with his thinking, is interested in hosting a forum for 2024 GOP candidates.
Carlson has even chatted about the idea with former President Trump, according to the report, who has threatened to skip one or both of the first Republican debates that are scheduled for the summer. The first GOP debate is slated to be hosted by Carlson’s former network, Fox News.
Carlson’s contract with Fox News reportedly runs through the end of 2024, which could limit his ability to dip his toes into other ventures until then.
But the Post, citing a source close to Carlson, said the cable host would be willing to part with millions of dollars that is owed to him by the company to be able to start a new gig sooner.
Over a week after Carlson’s stunning ouster at Fox News, no reasoning for the firing has been publicized by the Rupert Murdoch-owned company since.
The puzzling move – cutting arguably the most successful cable news host of the 21st century – has led to a devastating decline in ratings for Fox.
Carlson, on the other hand, racked up nearly 25 million views on a cryptic video posted to Twitter late in April. The tweet received a staggering 971,000 likes.
