For the primary time I’ve learn an article that presents a minimum of the outlines of a convincing account of why Fox fired Tucker Carlson. The Occasions account, revealed an hour in the past, isn’t dramatically totally different from different accounts we’ve seen during the last three days, a minimum of not at first look. So it could appear odd at first that I’m placing it in a distinct class. However on my learn a minimum of it offers a level of specificity concerning the exact chain of occasions and who did what when that it’s totally different from all the sooner tales.
Earlier articles have famous that there could be extra damaging materials in messages that remained redacted within the lead as much as the trial. The gist of the Occasions article is that the Fox board and key executives on the firm weren’t conscious till two days earlier than the trial simply what was in these redacted Carlson messages. Their contents have been apparently so explosive that they performed a key position not solely in Carlson’s termination however in pushing Fox to settle the case on the primary day of the trial. They wanted to finish the trial to maintain these poisonous messages below wraps.
When contemplating simply what might have been so dangerous, think about that Carlson repeatedly insulted Donald Trump (not nice for a Fox viewers) and repeatedly known as Trump lawyer Sidney Powell the c-word. So it’s received to be fairly dangerous. Offensive remarks about girls have been manageable. This wasn’t. The Occasions says it hasn’t seen the precise messages however appears to go away open the likelihood that they have been briefed on their gist. The important thing a part of their abstract is that the messages “confirmed [Carlson] making extremely offensive and crude remarks that went past the inflammatory, typically racist feedback of his prime-time present and something disclosed within the lead-up to the trial.”
That is tea leaf studying. Maybe it’s nothing. But it surely appears notable to me that they appear to position specific give attention to racist feedback.
The Occasions goes on to say: “One individual briefed on the contents of the redacted materials mentioned one of many messages was notably offensive, including to the priority on the prime of the corporate.”
Regardless of the messages mentioned the board first thought-about bringing in an outdoor regulation agency to research Carlson earlier than lastly deciding they’d seen sufficient and needed to hearth him. The article isn’t completely clear on this level but it surely appears the Murdochs might have made the ultimate name.
Combined by way of the article is the worry that the messages might nonetheless see the sunshine of day both by way of media lawsuits asking the Delaware decide to take away the redactions, within the Smartmatic trial or in one of many varied different lawsuits the corporate faces. Past that, they appear to worry there’s extra on the market past the Dominion discovery supplies.