Press Play with Madeleine Brand
From CNN to Fox News, why Tucker Carlson is the most watched conservative pundit in America
The most powerful voice in consevative America isn’t an elected official. It’s Tucker Carlson — the cornerstone of Fox News’ weeknight opinion block and a fervent defender of being unapologetically white in America.
The most powerful voice in consevative America isn’t an elected official. It’s Tucker Carlson — the cornerstone of Fox News’ weeknight opinion block and a fervent defender of being unapologetically white in America.
most-watched primetime cable news program today. Fox also far outpaces its cable rivals CNN and MSNBC. Earlier this month, the only non-Fox cable program in Nielsen’s top 10 lineup was a soccer championship game between Italy and England. More than 3 million viewers tune in every night for Carlso’s take on America’s racial politics, immigration, or conspiracy theories (like federal law enforcement officers orchestrated the January 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol).
So how did Carlson become the pundit of choice for aggrieved right-wingers? And how is he shaping the real decision of millions of Americans, like the potentially life-or-death choice of whether to get vaccinated?