“Is that Pedro Gonzalez?” a voice called out. I was standing in an old wooden building that had been converted into a studio by America’s most popular cable news host. Not in Los Angeles or New York, the twin Meccas of media, but in a sleepy Maine town. I turned around and saw the owner approaching from the outside, the sun against his back, shining over him just enough to blind me. But I recognized his voice. It was Tucker Carlson, and he shook my hand with a smile.
Tucker Carlson Tonight—America’s biggest cable news show—ended abruptly in April. The details of what exactly transpired are still murky. All that’s certain is Fox had an ax to grind and finally swung it. Fortunately, the man is not dead, and I believe he’ll ultimately be better off. Still, it seems appropriate to reflect on the end of an important program and an era as Tucker, I hope, turns the page to a new and better chapter.
Tucker was Fox’s greatest talent. It’s not even close. But he is also a good person who helped outsiders like me reach a larger audience. He did that often, and it’s hard to find that combination of talent, bravery, and generosity anywhere else in our time. Tucker used his aircraft-carrier-sized platform to attack the world’s most powerful individuals and institutions while giving voice to the small. That is what made Tucker Carlson Tonight a phenomenon and will make whatever Tucker does next the same.
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