Career Timeline of Tucker Carlson: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Tucker Carlson built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Tucker Carlson is an American conservative political activist and commentator. He is known for hosting Tucker on X and The Tucker Carlson Show since 2023, and previously hosted Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News from 2016 to 2023. A proponent of Donald Trump, Carlson is considered an influential voice in right-wing media and a key figure in promoting Trumpism.
1988: Supported Ron Paul's presidential candidacy
In 1988, Tucker Carlson supported Ron Paul's presidential candidacy when Paul ran as the candidate for the Libertarian Party.
1995: Joined The Weekly Standard
In 1995, Tucker Carlson joined The Weekly Standard news magazine as a journalist.
1999: Interviewed George W. Bush for Talk magazine
In 1999, Tucker Carlson interviewed then-Governor George W. Bush for Talk magazine, quoting Bush mocking Karla Faye Tucker. This piece led to bad publicity for Bush's 2000 presidential campaign.
2000: Bad Publicity for Bush's 2000 presidential campaign
In 1999, Tucker Carlson interviewed then-Governor George W. Bush for Talk magazine, quoting Bush mocking Karla Faye Tucker. The piece led to bad publicity for Bush's 2000 presidential campaign.
2000: CNN Commentator
In 2000, Tucker Carlson became a commentator for CNN.
2000: Co-hosted The Spin Room
In 2000, Tucker Carlson co-hosted the short-lived show The Spin Room on CNN.
2001: Co-host of Crossfire
From 2001 to 2005, Tucker Carlson was a co-host of Crossfire, CNN's prime-time news debate program.
September 2003: Publication of Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites
In September 2003, Tucker Carlson's memoir, "Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites: My Adventures in Cable News", was published by Warner Books. The book received favorable reviews for its humor.
November 2003: Hired to Helm a New Program for PBS
In November 2003, Tucker Carlson was hired to helm a new program for PBS, Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered, which ran concurrently with Carlson's Crossfire gig on CNN.
2003: Interview with Britney Spears
In 2003, Tucker Carlson interviewed Britney Spears, where she stated she trusts the president's decisions regarding the Iraq War.
2003: Esquire Profile Garnered National Magazine Awards Nomination
Tucker Carlson's 2003 Esquire profile on his journey to Liberia alongside Reverend Al Sharpton and other civil and political rights activists would garner a nomination at the National Magazine Awards.
June 18, 2004: Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered launched
On June 18, 2004, the program Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered launched on PBS.
October 2004: Jon Stewart's Critique on Crossfire
In October 2004, Jon Stewart appeared on Crossfire and criticized the show for being harmful to political discourse, singling out Tucker Carlson. This event is believed by some to have led to the show's cancellation.
2004: Stewart confronts Carlson on Crossfire
In 2004, Jon Stewart's confrontation of Tucker Carlson on Crossfire was mentioned in relation to Carlson's debate maneuvers. It was noted that both Stewart then and Carlson now both come out of the gate with an impossible line of questioning and a disingenuous defense.
2004: Wrote commentary accusing Bush of weakness and criticizing the Iraq War
In 2004, Tucker Carlson wrote a commentary in Esquire accusing Bush of weakness after the September 11 attacks and in the invasion of Iraq. Carlson said "Iraq is a crappy place filled with a bunch of, you know, semi-literate primitive monkeys, that's why it wasn't worth invading.".
2004: Carlson Resigned from Crossfire
Tucker Carlson stated he resigned from Crossfire in April 2004, many months before Jon Stewart came on the show.
January 5, 2005: CNN Ended Relationship with Carlson
On January 5, 2005, CNN chief Jonathan Klein told Carlson the network had decided not to renew his contract. CNN announced that it was ending its relationship with Carlson and would soon cancel Crossfire.
June 12, 2005: Carlson Left Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered
On June 12, 2005, Tucker Carlson announced he was leaving Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered to focus on his new MSNBC show Tucker.
June 13, 2005: Tucker Premiered on MSNBC
On June 13, 2005, Tucker, originally titled The Situation with Tucker Carlson, premiered on MSNBC.
2005: Hosted Tucker on MSNBC
From 2005 to 2008, Tucker Carlson hosted the nightly program Tucker on MSNBC.
2006: Appeared live from Israel during the 2006 Lebanon War
In 2006, Tucker Carlson appeared live from Israel during the 2006 Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. He proposed that Lebanon fight and push out Hezbollah instead of going to war with Israel and criticized Syria's involvement in the conflict.
2006: Hosted Late-Afternoon Wrap-Up for 2006 Winter Olympics
In 2006, Tucker Carlson hosted a late-afternoon weekday wrap-up for the network during the 2006 Winter Olympics.
2007: Reported Aftermath of Shootings in 2007
In 2007, Tucker Carlson reported on the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shooting and Johnson Space Center shooting.
March 10, 2008: Tucker Canceled by MSNBC
On March 10, 2008, Tucker Carlson's show Tucker was canceled by MSNBC due to low ratings.
March 14, 2008: Final Episode of Tucker Aired
On March 14, 2008, the final episode of Tucker Carlson's show Tucker aired on MSNBC.
2008: Hosted Tucker on MSNBC until 2008
From 2005 to 2008, Tucker Carlson hosted the nightly program Tucker on MSNBC.
2008: Supported Ron Paul's presidential candidacy
In 2008, Tucker Carlson supported Ron Paul's presidential candidacy, when Paul ran as a Republican.
2009: Political Analyst for Fox News
In 2009, Tucker Carlson became a political analyst for Fox News, appearing on various programs before launching his own show.
2009: Became a senior fellow at the Cato Institute
In 2009, Tucker Carlson became a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.
January 11, 2010: Launched The Daily Caller
On January 11, 2010, Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel launched a political news website titled The Daily Caller.
February 2010: The Daily Caller Part of White House Press Pool
By February 2010, The Daily Caller was part of the White House rotating press pool.
May 25, 2010: Carlson denied entry into JournoList
On May 25, 2010, Tucker Carlson attempted to join JournoList, an invitation-only liberal forum, but was denied by Ezra Klein.
June 2010: The Daily Caller published JournoList excerpts
In June 2010, The Daily Caller published excerpts from e-mails sent between members of JournoList, a liberal forum. The leaked e-mails contained controversial remarks and detailed efforts to defeat Palin and McCain and help elect Barack Obama.
September 2010: Carlson produces 'Fighting for Our Children's Minds'
In September 2010, Carlson produced and hosted a special entitled Fighting for Our Children's Minds on Fox News.
2010: Co-founded The Daily Caller
In 2010, Tucker Carlson co-founded and served as the initial editor-in-chief of the right-wing news and opinion website The Daily Caller.
February 2012: The Daily Caller publishes Media Matters exposé
In February 2012, The Daily Caller published an "investigative series" co-authored by Carlson, purporting to be an insiders' exposé of Media Matters for America. The piece was criticized for relying on conjecture and absence of evidence.
October 2012: Carlson publicizes Obama video
In October 2012, Tucker Carlson publicized a 2007 video recording of then-Senator Barack Obama criticizing the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina and complimenting Reverend Jeremiah Wright. The video had been available online since 2007.
April 2013: Carlson becomes Fox & Friends Weekend co-host
In April 2013, Tucker Carlson replaced Dave Briggs as a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend, joining Alisyn Camerota and Clayton Morris.
2015: Senior fellow at the Cato Institute
Tucker Carlson was a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, through 2015.
November 14, 2016: Tucker Carlson Tonight premieres
On November 14, 2016, Tucker Carlson began hosting Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News. The premiere episode was the network's most watched telecast of the year in the time slot, with 3.7 million viewers.
January 9, 2017: Tucker Carlson Tonight replaces Megyn Kelly
On January 9, 2017, Tucker Carlson's show replaced Megyn Kelly at the 9:00 p.m. time slot after she left Fox News.
January 2017: Tucker Carlson Tonight scores consistently high ratings
In January 2017, Forbes reported that Tucker Carlson Tonight had "scored consistently high ratings, averaging 2.8 million viewers per night and ranking as the number two cable news program behind The O'Reilly Factor in December".
February 23, 2017: The Atlantic on Carlson's televised partisan combat
On February 23, 2017, The Atlantic wrote that Tucker Carlson's true talent is for televised partisan combat, using sarcasm, barbed comebacks, and vicious politeness to drive his sparring partners nuts.
March 2017: Tucker Carlson Tonight becomes most watched cable program
In March 2017, Tucker Carlson Tonight was the most watched cable program in the 9:00 p.m. time slot.
April 19, 2017: Tucker Carlson Tonight airs at 8:00 p.m.
On April 19, 2017, following the cancellation of The O'Reilly Factor, Fox News announced that Tucker Carlson Tonight would air at 8:00 p.m.
May 2017: Signing book deal with Simon & Schuster
In May 2017, Tucker Carlson signed an eight-figure, two-book deal with Simon & Schuster's Threshold Editions, represented by Javelin literary agency.
June 2017: The Daily Caller's payment from Trump campaign revealed
In June 2017, it was revealed that The Daily Caller was paid $150,000 by Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign for its list of subscribers, leading to accusations of conflict of interest.
September 19, 2017: GQ profile on Carlson
On September 19, 2017, journalist Stephen Rodrick wrote in a GQ profile that Tucker Carlson mocks and verbally body-slams those who disagree with him, sharing a deep reluctance to apologize for his mistakes and lobbing insults.
2017: The New York Times on Stewart's 'Dressing-Down'
In 2017, The New York Times referred to Jon Stewart's "on-air dressing-down" of Carlson as an "ignominious career [moment]" for Carlson, leading to the show's cancellation.
March 2018: Tucker Carlson Tonight ranks as third-highest-rated cable news show
As of March 2018, Tucker Carlson Tonight was the third-highest-rated cable news show.
October 2018: Tucker Carlson Tonight ranks as second-highest rated cable news show
In October 2018, Tucker Carlson Tonight was the second-highest rated cable news show in prime time, after The Sean Hannity Show with Sean Hannity, with 3.2 million nightly viewers.
October 2018: Release of Ship of Fools
In October 2018, Tucker Carlson's book, "Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution", was released and debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list.
2018: Darren Beattie fired as a Trump speechwriter
In 2018, Darren Beattie was fired as a Trump speechwriter after CNN asked the White House about his attendance at a gathering of white nationalists.
2018: Promoted populist economics and attacked libertarianism
Since 2018, Tucker Carlson has promoted more populist economics, attacking libertarianism, saying "market capitalism is not a religion" and portraying some Republicans as "controlled by the banks".
January 2019: Tucker Carlson Tonight's viewership drops
By January 2019, Tucker Carlson's show viewership dropped to third with 2.8 million nightly viewers, down six percent from the previous year, and the show also lost at least 26 advertisers.
January 2019: Criticized mainstream Republican worldview
In January 2019, Tucker Carlson used a The Washington Post op-ed by Romney to criticize what he described as the "mainstream Republican" worldview, consisting of "unwavering support for a finance-based economy".
March 2019: Calls to fire Carlson after resurfaced remarks
In March 2019, there were calls to fire Carlson from Fox News after Media Matters resurfaced remarks he had made to the radio show Bubba the Love Sponge concerning women, statutory rape, Iraqis, and immigrants.
June 2019: Dissuaded Trump from launching military strikes against Iran
According to The New York Times, Tucker Carlson played an influential role in dissuading Trump from launching military strikes against Iran in June 2019 in response to the shooting down of an American drone, warning that it would hurt his re-election chances.
August 2019: Companies fulfill ad contracts
By August 2019, Media Matters calculated that some companies had fulfilled their media buy contracts and advertising inventory for the time slot and had now begun their purchases for other time slots on Fox News.
September 10, 2019: Lobbied for the firing of John Bolton
On September 10, 2019, Donald Trump fired John Bolton after Tucker Carlson lobbied Donald Trump to fire his national security advisor, John Bolton. Carlson said Bolton was "demented" for seeking a military strike against Iran and accused him of undermining Trump.
December 2019: Karen McDougal sues Fox News
In December 2019, Playboy model Karen McDougal sued Fox News after Carlson, in a 2018 episode of his show, accused her of extorting Donald Trump.
2019: Criticized hedge funds and praised Elizabeth Warren's economic plan
In 2019, Tucker Carlson criticized hedge funds, singling out Republican donor Paul Singer, and private equity while criticizing Mitt Romney. He also praised Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren's economic plan and called her book "The Two Income Trap" one of the best books he's ever read on economics.
June 2020: Carlson Sells Stake in The Daily Caller
In June 2020, Tucker Carlson sold his one-third stake in The Daily Caller to Neil Patel for an undisclosed amount.
July 2020: Blake Neff resigns from Tucker Carlson Tonight
In July 2020, Blake Neff, Carlson's head writer, resigned after CNN Business reported that he had been using a pseudonym to post racist, sexist, and homophobic remarks on AutoAdmit.
October 2020: Tucker Carlson Tonight achieves record viewership
By October 2020, Tucker Carlson Tonight averaged 5.3 million viewers, becoming the highest of any cable news program in history at that point. The show saw a dip in viewership following the aftermath of the 2020 election.
2020: Tucker Carlson Tonight becomes highest-rated cable news show
Beginning the week of June 8–14, 2020, Tucker Carlson Tonight became the highest-rated cable news show in the U.S., with an average of four million viewers. Some companies pulled advertising due to Carlson's remarks criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement.
2020: Left The Daily Caller
In 2020, Tucker Carlson sold his ownership stake and left The Daily Caller, the right-wing news and opinion website he co-founded.
February 2021: Carlson announces multiyear deal with Fox News
In February 2021, Tucker Carlson announced a multiyear deal with Fox News to host a new weekly podcast and series of monthly specials dubbed Tucker Carlson Originals on sister streaming service Fox Nation.
June 21, 2021: Reported as Media Source for Journalists Writing Critically of Trump
On June 21, 2021, New York Times reporter Ben Smith reported that Tucker Carlson was a media source for several journalists and authors, including Michael Isikoff, Michael Wolff, Brian Stelter, and others who wrote critically of Donald Trump.
August 2021: Release of The Long Slide
In August 2021, Tucker Carlson's book, "The Long Slide: Thirty Years in American Journalism", was released.
October 2021: Release of Patriot Purge
In October 2021, Tucker Carlson released "Patriot Purge", a three-part series on Fox Nation, which suggested the January 6 attack was a government false flag operation. Fact-checkers found the series contained numerous falsehoods and conspiracy theories, leading to criticism and resignations from Fox News contributors.
2021: Carlson included in Time 100
In 2021, Tucker Carlson was included in the Time 100, Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. A former NewsCorp executive described Carlson as having some impunity within Fox News.
2021: Carlson's influence in right-wing media
In 2021, Tucker Carlson was viewed as one of the leading voices in right-wing media, known for bringing far-right viewpoints into mainstream American politics. He was described as possibly the most powerful conservative in America by Time, and Mediaite named him the most influential person in news media.
2021: Tucker Carlson Tonight remains top cable news program
In the week following the inauguration of Joe Biden as president, Tucker Carlson Tonight remained the only cable news program not to see a drop in viewership. It remained the most-watched news-related cable show as of mid-2021.
April 2022: New York Times publishes "American Nationalist"
In April 2022, The New York Times published a three-part investigative series on Tucker Carlson called "American Nationalist," documenting his rise to prominence and his rhetoric on immigration, race relations, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Carlson responded by saying he had not read the series and denied allegations about obsessing over ratings.
May 2022: Tucker Carlson Tonight remains top cable news program
Through May 2022 Tucker Carlson Tonight was a close second to The Five, while leading in the 25–54 demographic.
April 2023: Fox News Canceled Tucker Carlson Tonight
In April 2023, Fox News canceled Tucker Carlson Tonight, which led Carlson to launch his own program, The Tucker Carlson Show.
April 24, 2023: Fox News dismisses Carlson
On April 24, 2023, Fox News dismissed Carlson and the executive producer of his evening show. On April 26, Carlson responded to his departure by tweeting a video.
May 9, 2023: Carlson announces relaunch of show on Twitter
On May 9, 2023, Carlson announced he would relaunch his show on Twitter. Carlson's attorneys alleged that Rupert Murdoch and other senior executives "intentionally" broke their promises to him. Fox News reportedly sent him a cease and desist after the first episode aired.
June 6, 2023: First episode of Tucker on Twitter released
On June 6, 2023, the first episode of the show, called Tucker on Twitter, was released. During the episode, Carlson made controversial claims.
June 2023: Carlson seeks funds to start new media company
In June 2023, Tucker Carlson was reportedly seeking funds to start a new media company with Neil Patel.
August 23, 2023: Carlson Hosts Trump on Tucker on X
On August 23, 2023, Tucker Carlson hosted Donald Trump on Tucker on X, deliberately to conflict with the first 2024 Republican debate.
September 6, 2023: Carlson interviews Larry Sinclair on X
On September 6, 2023, Tucker Carlson interviewed Larry Sinclair, who claimed that he had "had a night of crack cocaine-fueled sex with Barack Obama" 24 years before. The interview was criticized by many.
October 2023: Guest hosts fill Carlson's old slot.
As of October 2023, a rotation of guest hosts fill Tucker Carlson's old slot until a permanent replacement is found.
2023: Release of the biography Tucker
In 2023, Chadwick Moore released the biography "Tucker", written with Carlson's help, detailing his exit from Fox News. However, the book performed poorly in sales.
2023: Carlson airs security footage from Capitol attack
In early 2023, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave Tucker Carlson exclusive access to security surveillance video from the day of the Capitol attack. Carlson subsequently aired portions of it on his show, portraying the event as "peaceful chaos" and criticizing other media outlets. This segment was condemned by the family of Brian Sicknick and politicians from both parties.
February 2024: Interviewed Vladimir Putin
In February 2024, Tucker Carlson became the first Western journalist to interview Russian president Vladimir Putin since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
May 2024: Launch of The Tucker Carlson Show podcast
In May 2024, Tucker Carlson launched "The Tucker Carlson Show", a weekly commentary podcast. Despite initial reports of diminished popularity, the podcast quickly became highly rated.
July 2024: "The Tucker Carlson Show" becomes #1 podcast on Spotify
By July 2024, "The Tucker Carlson Show" became the #1 most popular political podcast on Spotify.
2024: Carlson considers a presidential run in 2028
In 2024, Tucker Carlson stated on his podcast that he would consider running for president in 2028, but conceded he might not be very good at it.
March 2026: Carlson on possible presidential run
In March 2026, during an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Tucker Carlson did not rule out a presidential run, stating he might run just to debate Ted Cruz.
2028: Carlson considers a presidential run
In 2024, Tucker Carlson mentioned that he would consider running for president in 2028, but conceded he might not be very good at it.
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