Since April, Fox News has been without its well-known former host, Tucker Carlson. Now the right-wing US news broadcaster has presented a successor: Jesse Watters, known as the provocative, conservative presenter, will receive the show “Jesse Watters Primetime” at prime time at 8 p.m., the broadcaster announced on Monday. Watters already has a large following for his taunting of the political left.
The 44-year-old was previously the co-host of Fox News’ show “The Five”. He started as a production assistant at Fox News after graduating in 2001 and soon appeared live on the airwaves using an aggressive interview technique that often provoked angry reactions from the politicians, government officials or liberal activists interviewed. Watters has been criticized in part for racist posts, poking fun at immigrants and labeling the homeless “people who have failed in life”.
Tucker Carlson surprisingly left the news channel in April. The split comes less than a week after the historic settlement between Fox News and voting machine company Dominion over false voter fraud allegations following the 2020 presidential election. The news network, owned by billionaire Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, agreed to pay 787.5 million dollars (around 717 million euros) to Dominion ready to avert a civil lawsuit.
Carlson’s name had surfaced repeatedly in connection with Dominion’s defamation lawsuit against Fox News. Carlson is one of the most influential conservative voices in the US and is known as a right-wing agitator. Critics repeatedly accuse him of racist statements and false or misleading information. After his show ended, Fox News’ evening ratings plummeted.
Carlson himself continued his evening show on Twitter, where his videos have been viewed more than 100 million times. Fox News is taking legal action against it.
