Tucker Carlson's Unauthorized Visit to Hungary Might Have Sparked His Departure From Fox News
Amid the whirlwind of controversial happenings, Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News star found himself involved in a brewing storm after reportedly airing a series of “unapproved” episodes from Hungary in 2021. As revealed in journalist Brian Stelter’s forthcoming book, Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy, published by The Daily Beast, new details surfaced about Carlson’s sudden departure from Fox News in April. The intrigue buzzes around Carlson’s clandestine journey to Hungary in August 2021. In an unexpected turn of events, the conservative TV personality filmed a series of episodes of his show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, from Budapest without obtaining the green light from the higher authorities of Fox News. This apparent defiance of authority reportedly played a pivotal role in his eventual exit.
Stelter reflecting on this unchartered expedition, showcased Carlson’s Hungary visit as a contentious act that pushed the bounds of authoritarianism. As per HuffPost, Stelter wrote, “A tug-of-war was underway between people of good faith and all parties who wanted to protect American democracy, and those on the other side of the rope who tugged in an authoritarian direction, Carlson’s unapproved trip to Hungary in 2021 was surely in the latter category, Carlson whipped his show up into an infomercial for Viktor Orbán’s increasingly autocratic, patriarchal nation.” The book’s bombshell revelation highlights Carlson’s questionable relationship with Fox News way back before his exit. While the network had strained dealings with the anchor, specifically regarding the unapproved trip, it wasn’t until after the $787 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, following Carlson’s hawking of baseless claims about the 2020 presidential election. That Fox News finally decided to part ways with him.
Despite initial rumors that Carlson's firing was a secret term of the Dominion settlement, both Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News explicitly refuted these speculations. As per Radar, Dominion explicitly stated, “As the Fox principals who negotiated the settlement well know, Dominion made no demands about Tucker Carlson’s employment orally or in writing, Any claims otherwise are categorically false and a thinly veiled effort to further damage Dominion.” Subsequently, Carlson departed from Fox News and has since initiated his show on X, speculating the establishment of his own media company to compete with his former network. Sources close to Carlson indicate, "Tucker has always felt like he was made a scapegoat, It was a bitter pill to swallow and something he still hasn't gotten over. He'll only be happy once he feels like he's gotten an eye for an eye.”
The saga surrounding Carlson’s alleged defiance and subsequent exit from Fox News paints a complex narrative of corporate, political, and ethical clashes that continue to stir the media landscape. Whether his unapproved sojourn to Hungary was indeed the definitive spark for his exit remains a contentious and debated topic.
