Tucker Carlson, the controversial Fox News host known for his vocal criticism of the US military, has been fired from the network.
The news has been met with jubilation in the Pentagon, with many senior officials expressing their joy at his departure.
“We’re a better country without him bagging on our military every night in front of hundreds of thousands of people,” said one senior DoD official.
Carlson‘s criticism of Biden–era personnel policies was popular with the rank–and–file, which has a large conservative base. But at the upper levels of the Defense Department, the news of Carlson‘s firing from Fox News on Monday was met with delight and outright glee.
Carlson had drawn the ire of top DoD officials early in the Biden administration for personal attacks on a number of military leaders, as well as ridiculing the armed forces’ efforts to increase diversity.
Most famously, his remarks disparaging female service members in March 2021 prompted a rare rebuke from then–Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby.
The Pentagon‘s in–house news service even published an article focused entirely on the dust–up: “Press Secretary Smites Host That Dissed Diversity in U.S. Military.”
Kirby, who is now the top spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, declined to comment for this story.
Carlson had also targeted the Air Force in particular, calling Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, then–commander of Air Education and Training Command, a “doughy moron” for updating pilot tests to address systemic racism.
He also mocked Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas, head of the Air Force’s recruiting office, for arguing that the service’s pilot force needs to become more diverse.
One general who clashed with Carlson on social media during the episode, Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe, had his retirement delayed for several months while the Army conducted a probe of the exchanges.
The saga ended in January with no action taken against Donahoe, who tweeted Monday’s news about Carlson’s exit with the message, “I have thoughts.” Donahoe declined to comment for this story.
Carlson‘s departure from Fox News has been met with a sigh of relief from those in the Pentagon, who are now hoping for a smoother relationship with the network moving forward.
