Former Fox News contributor Jonah Goldberg predicted a major personnel shakeup at the network as it tries to fend off a $1.6 billion lawsuit. Goldberg said he believes CEO Suzanne Scott is most likely to get the ax, but that talent such as Tucker Carlson will probably be spared.
Dominion Voting Systems is suing Fox News after network hosts and guests falsely claimed the company rigged the 2020 election against Donald Trump. Fox says its coverage is constitutionally protected and has accused Dominion of cherry-picking information.
Appearing on Wednesday’s OutFront on CNN, Goldberg was asked by Erin Burnett about the discrepancy between Carlson’s remarks about Trump in public versus his comments about him in private. According to filings in the suit, text message indicate Carlson privately trashed the former president, at one point stating, “I hate him passionately.”
Other Fox News hosts and employees also expressed extreme skepticism of election fraud claims.
Burnett asked Goldberg if Carlson had ever said anything like that to him when he was at Fox News.
“The few times we talked about Trump – he could be you know, critical of the guy – but I don’t remember him ever saying, ‘I hate him passionately or any of that kind of thing,’” Goldberg said. “I think the thing to keep in mind about Tucker is, first of all, he’s a lot smarter than a lot of the other people playing the same game Tucker is playing.”
Goldberg theorized Carlson is effective at not only lying to his audience, but himself.
Burnett inquired about Carlson’s future with the network.
“Tucker Carlson’s been a ratings leader there, right?” she said. “He’s been the conversation driver for Fox now for years. Does this lawsuit, Jonah, as you see it threaten that – his show, his professional existence?”
“Well, you might think it would except he’s kind of spent the last week since the latest Dominion revelations, doubling and tripling down on the act,” he responded. “Maybe he knows something or has a theory of the case. Maybe he thinks he’s unfirable. Maybe he’s playing a stop-me-before-I-kill-again game with Rupert [Murdoch], trying to get himself fired so he can make himself a martyr.”
Goldberg prophesied that whatever happens with Dominion’s lawsuit, it will not kill the network. However, he predicted heads will roll.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Mediaite