Social media is filled with speculation today on the topic of where former Fox News host Tucker Carlson will soon be employed. Might he sign with a right-wing network such as Newsmax or One America News? Or will he decide to do a strictly online show and broadcast that way?
Before you believe any rumors about where Carlson is headed, consider that it’s likely his Fox contract contains what’s known as a non-compete clause, which is defined by Reuters as “contracts between an employer and an employee that are typically signed at the start of their business relationship. Essentially, a non-compete agreement prohibits the employee from competing with the business directly or indirectly for a specific duration of time after their employment has ended.”
In other words, Carlson may be banned from starting or joining any entity that competes directly with Fox, meaning he would be in violation of an agreement he signed his name to when he first joined the network. That means he would forfeit the money Fox agreed to pay him in the contract.
And that, according to former GOP strategist Rick Wilson, suggests that Carlson may find the only option he has is running for office, including a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
Wilson shared his thoughts on Twitter, writing, “The shock of this will ripple through the enormous right-wing media ecosystem for ages to come. He was the big goal for MAGA activists: the Tucker Hit. Consider this: Ron DeSantis predicated his entire campaign on winning the ‘Tucker Primary.'”
That led Wilson to go one step further.
“Many people on the right have adopted a position that may be wishcasting; ‘Tucker will be back on a new streaming channel tomorrow and you’ll rue the day, libtards!’ Maybe not. Fox probably has a pretty stiff noncompete in his contract, so I wouldn’t count on the Tucker Carlson White Power Hour on the Blaze or Daily Wire any time soon. TBD, of course, but Fox will leak those details soon enough to chill the waters.
“Which leads us to a fascinating prospect…”
“What if he runs? He’s rich enough. He’d instantly have an online fundraising juggernaut second only to Trump, and perhaps surpassing him. He’s polarizing, terrible, and utterly amoral…in short, better than Ron DeSantis for the base. I’d argue he’s the only Republican who presents a material danger to Donald Trump in a primary. Celebrity, money, mental acuity, cynicism, pro-Putin isolationism, and an overt love of authoritarianism are a pretty strong secret sauce for the MAGA base. Celebrity got Trump the WH.”
“It could certainly do the same for Tucker. And spare me your ‘That could never happen. Even Trump’s GOP would never vote for a former TV host pushing white replacement theory.’ That’s PRECISELY who they’d vote for.”
