Tucker Carlson to Compete with GOP Debate Using Explosive Interview with Bill O'Reilly
You know what they say about payback.
It sounds like two of the biggest former stars of Fox News will be doing just that Wednesday night as they discuss their former network of employment at exactly the same time as the much-publicized Fox News second presidential primary debate.
A preview of the latest episode of Tucker Carlson’s online show, “Tucker on X,” scheduled to coincide with the presidential primary, reveals a familiar face to longtime Fox News viewers: Bill O’Reilly.
8:30pm ET pic.twitter.com/JwDhkCQHAO
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) September 27, 2023
For those who don’t follow the network, “The O’Reilly Factor” was Fox News’ highest-viewed show for most of its 11 years on the air, bringing $147.13 million in advertising revenue in 2016, according to ad-tracking firm Kantar Media, Reuters reported.
O’Reilly was abruptly fired by Fox in 2017 amid sexual harassment allegations, and eventually, Carlson took over the 8 p.m. slot with “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
Ironically, six years later, Tucker would suffer a similar fate.
On WMAL radio Wednesday, O Reilly teased tonight’s show, likening their ousting to a scenario similar to the Salem witch trials. “The witches start to get hanged and all of that. But anyone who objected then was accused of being a witch. So nobody could stand up and say this is insane to have 12-year-old girls accusing adults that they didn’t like executed,” O’Reilly said.
“Now, it’s the same thing. The corporations that run the media are so afraid of the cancel culture and the accusation that they don’t protect their people,” he added, according to The Gazette.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), several former viewers can’t wait to watch the fireworks.
“It will easily be Tucker by a landslide mark my words,” one person tweeted.
It will easily be Tucker by a landslide mark my words
— DogeMau5 𓂀 (@AwakenTheeMind) September 27, 2023
“Trump and Tucker all the way!” was another tweet.
Trump and Tucker all the way! pic.twitter.com/gH79RtZp16
— Molly Pitcher (@AmericanMama86) September 27, 2023
“Ewww. Another GOP meeting? I’ll watch Tucker,” was another response.
Ewww. Another GOP meeting? I’ll watch Tucker🤗🤙🇺🇸
— Tanya Jane 🇺🇸 ❤Trump 2024 (@tanyajane1975) September 27, 2023
During the first GOP presidential debate, Carlson drew away large numbers from Fox viewership by bringing in an even bigger star than a stage full of second-tier presidential hopefuls: former president Donald Trump.
Carlson’s show beat the presidential debate in viewers with around 2 million within a few hours of airing.
It remains to be seen if Carlson can pull off the same feat this time.
Either way, it’s definitely a distraction.
At the beginning of the inaugural show of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” six years ago, Carlson began by paying homage to the previous anchor of that coveted time slot, saying, “I watched Bill O’Reilly at this hour for years, and I always marveled at how well-prepared he was, how tough he was, and how crisply and directly he expressed his views. What O’Reilly did was not easy. He set a high bar, and I’m going to do my best to meet it. Thanks for sticking with us,” he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Looks like a lot of viewers are still sticking with Carlson and O’Reilly.
And it looks like they will be having a bit of fun sticking it to Fox.
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