WHAT’S NEXT FOR TUCKER
Alex Berenson on Tucker Carlson Tonight January 22, 2022
I wouldn’t exactly call Tucker Carlson a friend – even though I appeared on his show at least 50 times.
I’ve never had a beer or a coffee off-set with Tucker. We have very similar views on some issues, like the dangers of cannabis and mRNA jabs, but very different on others like Ukraine.
And I only got to know him when he was already hugely successful. Adults have a hard time becoming close under those circumstances. I’ve never wanted to be the guy asking Tucker (or Elon) for favors – aside from the favor of his having me on when I had something interesting to say.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t exactly say Tucker is just an acquaintance, just another news anchor who interviewed me, either. For two years of Covid and vaccine madness, we had a certain ride or die relationship.
The left hated me for fighting the Covid narrative. And they hated Tucker for having me on, which he did over and over and over. Through 2020 and 2021, I knew he would let me come on once a week and reveal truth for three or four minutes. He never tried to tell me what to say. (He even reads my Unreported Truths blog. I know because he texts me about stuff sometimes.)
The remote television trucks came up to our house over and over and over. Long after other Fox hosts had lost their nerve for talking about the mRNAs, Tucker continued to push.
I will never forget certain segments, like the June 2020 moment when we talked about Amazon’s efforts to censor my first Unreported Truths booklet – driving it to #1 on Amazon and forever changing the arc of my career.
Or the March 2021 hit when we critiqued President Biden’s pathetic call for socially distanced July 4th barbeques. Or the January 2022 segment when I called for all mRNA boosters to be withdrawn.
(How I wish the world had heeded this warning! As soon as Omicron arrived the jabs were worse than useless. But that’s a story for another day.)
Or even two weeks ago, when I came on to announce Berenson v Biden. Now it seems that “two thumbs” segment on April 12 will be my last with him, at least on Fox.
I don’t know why Tucker and Fox parted ways so abruptly. What I do know: The glee on the left about Tucker’s departure is misplaced. Tucker isn’t going anywhere. He has said he won’t run for President. Make no mistake, he would instantly be a serious threat for the Republican nomination if he did.
But if he chooses to stay in media, he will be in line for a payday from a streaming service far, far larger than what he currently makes at Fox.
A few months ago, Steven Crowder – who is basically unknown outside right-wing media – turned down a $12.5 million a year offer from the Daily Wire. That’s more than Tucker was making in 2020, according to CNN.
Even if Tucker got a big pay hike in the last two years, he was still the best bargain in television – which is why Fox stock fell 5 percent when it announced his departure.
Tucker, who has recently been doing more and more long-form interviews, could easily sign the first billion-dollar deal with a streaming service for a four or five year exclusive.
He won’t lose any influence, either. You may have noticed that Joe Rogan hasn’t been hurt by moving from YouTube to Spotify. Voices like Tucker and Rogan are powerful enough to bring their audiences with them, which is why they can demand such big paydays.
In fact, if Tucker really wanted to cause trouble, he’d make Chris Licht, CNN’s chief executive, an offer Licht couldn’t refuse – I’ll reboot CNN for you, Chris, just let me say what I want.
Never happen, of course. Tucker is due for what pro athletes like to call “generational wealth” – money your kids can’t blow no matter how hard they try. Why wouldn’t he take it?
But Tucker to CNN! Just indulge the thought for a minute, and imagine the weeping on the left that would result.
Alex Berenson is the author of Pandemia: How Coronavirus Hysteria Took Over Our Government, Rights, and Lives.