'I’ve been grateful for it': Tucker Carlson reveals how Elon Musk's phone call led to 'Tucker on X' after messy Fox News exit

Tucker Carlson claims Fox News is run by 'fearful women' in a candid conversation with Dave Portnoy
UPDATED SEP 3, 2023
Tucker Carlson sheds light on Fox News firing and how a phone call by Elon Musk eventually led him to start his own show on X, formerly known as Twitter (Getty Images)
Tucker Carlson sheds light on Fox News firing and how a phone call by Elon Musk eventually led him to start his own show on X, formerly known as Twitter (Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: On Friday, September 1, Dave Portnoy appeared on ‘Tucker on X’ in conversation with Tucker Carlson.

While most of the conversation focussed on the American business owner, who became famous after an argument with a pizzeria owner, the last few minutes of the interview focussed on Tucker.

Tucker’s previous guests included the likes of Donald Trump and Balazs Orban, who mentioned Fox News in their interviews as well.

Tucker, who previously worked with Fox News and was then fired, has started to open up about it a little more on ‘Tucker on X.’

Tucker Carlson claims Fox News is run by 'fearful women'

After a 40-minute conversation that focussed on Dave Portnoy, the tables were turned when Portnoy mentioned the “Fox unwinding” and Tucker immediately corrected him, “You mean I got fired.”

Tucker had briefly mentioned his opinion about Fox News and his life not being “changed” after being fired in his interview with Balazs Orban in Hungary, however, Tucker went into a little more depth this time, after expressing he will always be “grateful” to Fox.

Tucker added, “Obviously I said too much, and I’m not sure exactly what I said that was bad. No one ever told me. But then one day they were nope can’t have this anymore, and they fired me.” It was after this firing that Tucker decided he would “never work for anyone else again.”



 

When asked if Tucker could always say what he wanted to, the ex-Fox News host mentioned the Murdochs, “The Murdochs were always nice, they never got in my way at all, they were always super nice to me.”

He added, “It’s a company run by fearful women” and there were “second-tier people” who hassled Tucker’s producers on Fox News.

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson opens up about Elon Musk's X

The conversation eventually shifted from Fox News to X, formerly known as Twitter, when Dave Portnoy told Tucker Carlson that he never struck him as a “technology guy.” Tucker responded, “I hate technology, I hate electricity.”

Tucker Carlson admits he
Tucker Carlson admits he 'hates' technology and electricity (Twitter/@TuckerCarlson)

“It seems as if your microphone has gotten quite a bit larger, have you been surprised by that?” asked Portnoy.

Tucker responded by saying, “No, I’ve been grateful for it. I mean, we like within hours of getting the boot...” Tucker paused and mentioned his executive producer Justin Wells who was fired minutes after Tucker.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 13: Elon Musk attends TIME Person of the Year on December 13, 2021 in
Elon Musk called Tucker Carlson and asked him to join X, formerly known as Twitter (Getty Images)

Within an hour of Wells and Tucker being fired from Fox News, Elon Musk called Wells and said, “You should come to Twitter.”

Tucker said he will never stop being “grateful” but also added, “We don’t work for Elon or anything, but we’re using the site like everyone else uses it, as a platform which is not censored."

RELATED TOPICS ELON MUSK TUCKER CARLSON

MORE STORIES

John Oliver was bleeped out twice during his brief, 15-second Emmys acceptance speech on live television after he roasted host Nate Bargatze
Sep 15, 2025
Kevin Hart doesn't appreciate paparazzi’s question after viral video of him hosting Diddy’s party resurfaces
Apr 6, 2025
Diddy’s childhood friend Tim Patterson claims Janice Combs’s wild parties often involved pimps, homosexuals, and other adult activities
Apr 6, 2025
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson tied the knot in 1994, but she initially thought the King of Pop was a creep—and we totally get why
Apr 6, 2025
Riley Keough opens up about the Presley family curse in a candid interview while on tour for her book, 'From Here to the Great Unknown'
Apr 5, 2025
Natalie Morales hits back after her interview with Seth Meyers is removed from all platforms due to a revealing outfit
Apr 5, 2025
"Babyface, can you believe she wants me to dress like a girl?" Michael Jackson told a producer.
Apr 2, 2025
Sofia Vergara also dished out on why she doesn't ever want to play Modern Family's Gloria again
Apr 2, 2025
"It took more and more to get high, and I honestly don't know when your body decides it can't deal with it anymore," Lisa Marie Presley wrote.
Apr 1, 2025
A family member's last-minute intervention saved Michael Jackson from the 9/11 tragedy—here’s what happened
Apr 1, 2025