Tucker Carlson was fired from Fox News in April 2023 primarily due to a combination of escalating issues. These included his growing influence alongside the discovery of his extreme off-air views, which were consistent with the controversial and racially charged rhetoric he promoted on his show. Private messages revealed in a defamation lawsuit showed that Carlson genuinely believed in conspiracy theories like the "great replacement theory." This, together with troubling and racially insensitive text messages just before a major trial, caused Fox News executives to see him as a liability rather than an asset. The decision to fire Carlson was made by Fox Corp. leadership under Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch, who wanted to protect the network's future and reputation, especially after Fox News' $787 million settlement in a defamation lawsuit related to election fraud claims. Carlson's increasingly erratic and damaging behavior and his role in lawsuits, including one involving a former Fox producer alleging bullying and antisemitic comments, also contributed to the termination. The firing was seen as a strategic move to distance Fox News from the controversies Carlson incited and to move away from extreme right-wing conspiracy narratives within the network.