The Times reports that the Fox board saw the text message the day before the Dominion trial was scheduled to begin and was worried about it becoming public during the legal proceedings. The board’s concerns were particularly heightened since Carlson was a potential witness. Fox ultimately settled the Dominion suit for $787.5 million.
The text message, part of redacted court filings, was reportedly a factor in Fox’s decision to part ways with Carlson, who was its most popular anchor on cable news. The Fox board was concerned that Carlson’s message, and his previous controversial statements, might reflect negatively on the network’s image.
Carlson’s text message stands in contrast to the rhetoric he often espoused on his show, which has been criticized for promoting white nationalist talking points such as the “great replacement theory.” In 2018, Carlson came under fire for stating that immigration makes the United States “dirtier,” which led to a significant advertiser backlash.
