US becoming ‘one-party state’ – Tucker Carlson

Tucker Carlson has released a video tearing into American news outlets, in his first appearance since parting ways with Fox News, saying genuine debate on major issues is simply “not permitted” in US media.

In a clip shared to Twitter on Wednesday evening, the former Fox host delivered a monologue similar to those heard on his long-time show, ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’, even posting the video to coincide with his previous timeslot. 

While he did not directly address his reported firing from Fox News earlier this week, Carlson launched into a scathing criticism of the mainstream media, saying most discussions on TV news shows are “irrelevant” and “unbelievably stupid,” while key subjects go unmentioned. 

“The undeniably big topics, the ones that will define our future, get virtually no discussion at all – war, civil liberties, emerging science, demographic change, corporate power, natural resources. When was the last time you heard a legitimate debate about any of those issues?” he said. “It’s been a long time; debates like that are not permitted in American media.”

He went on to argue that both major political parties in the US have “reached consensus on what benefits them” and now “actively collude” to shut down meaningful discussion, saying the American establishment has “given up on persuasion” and is now “resorting to force” and increasing censorship.

“Suddenly, the United States looks very much like a one-party state,” Carlson continued. “That’s a depressing realization, but it’s not permanent. Our current orthodoxies won’t last... This moment is too inherently ridiculous to continue, so it won’t.”

READ MORE: Pentagon top brass pleased with Carlson exit – Politico

Carlson’s departure from Fox on Monday was a major shake-up for the outlet, as his prime-time show was long one of the highest-rated programs on cable news. Despite reports that he was dismissed, Fox said they had “agreed to part ways” and offered no further explanation for the decision, which has already driven a drop in both the network's ratings and market value. 

The former host was a polarizing figure during his tenure at Fox, routinely accused of spreading “hate” and “disinformation” by left and liberal critics while garnering a major fan base among conservative viewers. His show occasionally triggered the ire of US officials, with former Pentagon spokesman John Kirby once addressing Carlson directly during a 2021 press briefing, insisting the military would not “take… advice from a talk-show host.”