Ex-Twitter Employee Slams Tucker Carlson’s Plan To Relaunch His Show On Platform

A former employee of Twitter has criticized Tucker Carlson’s plan to revive his show through the social media platform. The ousted Fox News host announced his plan to relaunch his show through Twitter but Elon Musk said no official deal was made with Carlson.

The notion that Carlson could build a significant video business on the platform was “stupid,” the former Twitter employee who worked on a show called AM2DM on Twitter told Semafor.

The ex-employee noted that the problem with running a show on Twitter was the apparent contrast between the basic Twitter experience of scrolling through media on the platform and basically sitting down to watch a show just like one does when watching television.

“It’s doomscrolling versus doomstaying,” the former Twitter worker argued.

On Wednesday, Carlson announced on his Twitter account through a video that he was “back” to hosting.

“Starting soon we’ll be bringing a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter,” he said, adding that his team will bring in other things to the platform but he didn’t provide further details.

A person close to the former Fox News host told Semafor that several ex-staffers from Carlson’s axed show were planning to join the commentator in his plans to reinvent the show on Twitter, including executive producer Justin Wells.

Musk has since responded to Carlson’s post, stating that “we have not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever. He said the long-time Fox News host would be “subject to the same rules & rewards of all content creators.”

The SpaceX founder also noted that “anything misleading” will receive Community Notes, which allow Twitter users to “collaboratively add context to potentially misleading Tweets.”

Carlson’s confidants recently spoke to Axios about the TV personality’s steps moving forward, including plans to build his own media empire and possibly freeing himself from his Fox contract.

Carlson is bound to his Fox contract through January 2025, but a friend of the political commentator told Axios that Carlson’s team was “preparing for war.”

“He wants his freedom. Now we’re going from peacetime to Defcon 1,” the friend said.

It appears that Carlson has been receiving job offers after he was fired late last month.

Vladimir Solovyov, who hosts Russian state TV, said Carlson will have Russia’s support if he runs for president or pursues an independent media project. Solovyov also said Carlson was welcome to join his show as a host.

Businessman and political activist Mike Lindell also offered to take in Carlson and Don Lemon on Lindell TV. Lemon was fired from CNN on the same day Fox announced it agreed to part ways with Carlson.

News outlet OAN said its CEO Robert Herring “would like to extend an invitation to Carlson to meet for negotiation to become a part of the OAN team.”

Meanwhile, Carlson’s lawyers accused Fox News of fraud and breach of contract Tuesday, according to Axios.

The ex-Fox News anchor’s lawyers reportedly sent a letter to the media outlet, stating that the noncompete clause in Carlson’s contract was now invalid. Carlson’s lawyers argued that Fox breached its contract with their client first.

The letter also reportedly alleged that Fox broke an agreement with Carlson to not release private communications “to take any adverse employment action against him.”

The New York Times reported earlier this month that Carlson allegedly sent a racist text message, which ultimately contributed to his ouster from the company.

Carlson’s lawyers reportedly further demanded that Fox take immediate measures to “preserve all existing documents and data” relevant to the dispute.

Carlson was fired from Fox News days after the media company settled with Dominion Voting Systems, which accused the outlet of defamation over false claims that Dominion manipulated 2020 election results in favor of Joe Biden.

In particular, Dominion accused Carlson of making defamatory statements through his Fox show after the 2020 presidential election. Dominion also alleged that Carlson and other Fox executives were aware that statements about the voting services provider were false but the news outlet continued airing such statements to boost views.

Carlson first worked with CNN, PBS, and MSNBC before moving to Fox News as a contributor in 2009.