It appears that Tucker Carlson will not be off the air for long.
In a video posted to his Twitter account with the line “we’re back,” Carlson said that he will be bringing “a new version of the show that we have been doing for the past six and a half years to Twitter.”
“We’ll be bringing some other things too, which we will tell you about, but for now we are just grateful to be here,” Carlson added.
Carlson’s website on Tuesday led with the headline “Tucker is back,” with a sign-up so users could get details when they are officially announced. It also included a photo of Carlson — who splits his time between Maine and Florida — wearing a plaid shirt and holding what appears to be a shotgun.
The announcement suggests in no uncertain terms that the Elon Musk-owned social platform will play host to Carlson’s program — or at least a version of it — even as he navigates an exit agreement with Fox News, which is being negotiated by attorney Bryan Freedman.
Musk, who was interviewed by Carlson a few weeks ago on his now-canceled Fox News show, tweeted later in the day that Carlson had “not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever” with Twitter. He explained that the host would benefit from subscriptions and advertising revenue share, which Musk said would be a new feature for the platform. The Twitter CEO added, “I hope that many others, particularly from the left, also choose to be content creators on this platform.”
While the specifics of Carlson’s contract are not public, anchors usually have so-called “pay or play” clauses in their contracts that can see them paid out while keeping them off of competitors’ platforms. It is not immediately clear whether that clause applies in this case.
Fox News parted ways with Carlson just two weeks ago in a stunning move that caught the media business off guard. The specific reason, or reasons, that Carlson was ousted remains unclear, with redacted text messages, ongoing lawsuits and Rupert Murdoch’s whims being among the theories cited by observers.
Assuming Carlson’s show moves forward, Twitter will have a pair of notable video programs on its platform next year. Last week NBCUniversal cut a deal to bring 2024 Olympics coverage to Twitter, including a live show that will be exclusive to the platform.
May 9, 5 p.m. Updated with Musk’s tweet.
