Peter Thiel and Rebekah Mercer are two of the biggest donors in the Republican Party—and they may back Tucker Carlson in his newest project.
Key Details
- On April 24, the most popular television host in America was ousted from his nightly broadcast.
- On June 6, Carlson launched Tucker On Twitter—a new independent weekly news show exclusively broadcasted on X.com.
- The show nets millions of views weekly and has drawn major guests like Andrew Tate, Devon Archer, and Ice Cube.
- Sources tell CNBC that GOP financers are discussing financing a new media company worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
- Investment firm 1789 Capital is already planning a major eight-figure investment into the media venture, CNBC notes.
Why It’s Important
The ousting of Tucker Carlson in the aftermath of the $787 million Dominion Voting Systems settlement proved to be a major mistake on the part of Fox News as it began to fall rapidly in ratings, though these have improved somewhat following a schedule rearrangement with the remaining hosts. Multiple sources allege that the firing was a verbal agreement in the settlement to silence him through the 2024 election.
Tucker Carlson remains one of the most powerful and influential voices on the American right, with his recent debate on July 14 severely damaging presidential candidate Mike Pence’s prestige and dropping him in the polls from third place to fourth place. Carlson is rapidly becoming the kingmaker of Republican politics and far more powerful as an independent than he was on broadcast television.
The backing of major conservative donors like Thiel and Mercer could go a long way to legitimizing and cementing his status as a leading independent voice in GOP politics. As The Wall Street Journal reports, the new venture would create full-length versions of the content he currently produces and create a revenue-based subscription model for his content. However, it is unclear if either donor has officially signed onto the project.
As we previously reported, Carlson received a cease-and-desist letter in June following the launch of his new social media-based show. Carlson has continued to produce new content, and it is unclear whether he is still technically in violation of his contract or not.
