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 commentator known for hosting Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News from 2016 to 2023. He is now the host of Tucker on X and The Tucker Carlson Show. A proponent of Donald Trump, Carlson has become an influential voice in right-wing media, often associated with Trumpism and white grievance politics. His commentary and shows have generated both significant viewership and considerable controversy.
1988: Supported Ron Paul's presidential candidacy
In 1988, early in his career, Tucker Carlson supported Ron Paul's presidential candidacy when Paul ran as the candidate for the Libertarian Party.
1995: Joining The Weekly Standard
In 1995, Tucker Carlson joined The Weekly Standard news magazine.
1999: Interview with George W. Bush
In 1999, Tucker Carlson interviewed then-Governor George W. Bush for Talk magazine, which led to bad publicity for Bush's 2000 presidential campaign.
2000: CNN Commentator
In 2000, Tucker Carlson became a commentator for CNN.
2000: Co-hosting The Spin Room
In 2000, Tucker Carlson co-hosted the show The Spin Room on CNN.
2001: Co-host of Crossfire
In 2001, Tucker Carlson became a co-host of Crossfire on CNN.
2001: Appointment as Co-host of Crossfire
In 2001, Tucker Carlson was appointed co-host of Crossfire on CNN.
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.
November 2003: Hired to helm new PBS program
In November 2003, Carlson was hired to helm a new program for PBS, Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered.
June 18, 2004: Launch of Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered
On June 18, 2004, Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered launched on PBS.
2004: Jon Stewart Confrontation on Crossfire
In 2004, Lyz Lenz of the Columbia Journalism Review noted that Carlson's debate style mirrors Jon Stewart's confrontation of Carlson on Crossfire, describing Stewart then and Carlson now as both "com[ing] out of the gate with an impossible line of questioning and a disingenuous defense".
2004: Criticized Bush and the Iraq War in Esquire
In 2004, Tucker Carlson wrote a commentary in Esquire accusing President Bush of weakness after the September 11 attacks and in the invasion of Iraq. He also made derogatory comments about the Iraqi population.
January 5, 2005: CNN Ends Carlson's Contract
On January 5, 2005, CNN chief Jonathan Klein told Tucker Carlson that the network had decided not to renew his contract and would cancel Crossfire.
June 12, 2005: Leaving Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered
On June 12, 2005, Tucker Carlson announced he was leaving Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered on PBS to focus on his new MSNBC show.
June 13, 2005: Premiere of Tucker on MSNBC
On June 13, 2005, Tucker Carlson's show Tucker premiered on MSNBC.
September 13, 2006: Carlson Eliminated from Dancing with the Stars
On September 13, 2006, Tucker Carlson was the first contestant eliminated from season 3 of "Dancing with the Stars", where he was paired with Elena Grinenko.
2006: Winter Olympics Wrap-Up
In 2006, Tucker Carlson hosted a late-afternoon weekday wrap-up for MSNBC during the Winter Olympics.
2006: Reported live from Israel during the Lebanon War
In 2006, Tucker Carlson reported live from Israel during the 2006 Lebanon War. He proposed that Lebanon fight Hezbollah and criticized Syria's involvement, while also expressing support for the Israel Defense Forces but criticizing their tactics.
March 10, 2008: Cancellation of Tucker on MSNBC
On March 10, 2008, Tucker was canceled by MSNBC due to low ratings.
March 14, 2008: Final Episode of Tucker on MSNBC
On March 14, 2008, the final episode of Tucker aired on MSNBC.
2008: Host of Tucker on MSNBC
In 2008, Tucker Carlson hosted Tucker on MSNBC.
2008: Carlson's Cameo in Swing Vote
In 2008, Tucker Carlson made a cameo appearance as himself in the film "Swing Vote".
2008: Supported Ron Paul's presidential candidacy as a Republican
In 2008, Tucker Carlson supported Ron Paul's presidential candidacy, when Paul ran as a Republican.
2009: Joined the Cato Institute as a senior fellow
From 2009 through 2015, Tucker Carlson was a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.
2009: Political Analyst for Fox News
In 2009, Tucker Carlson became a political analyst for Fox News.
January 11, 2010: The Daily Caller Launched
On January 11, 2010, Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel launched the political news website "The Daily Caller". Carlson served as editor-in-chief.
February 2010: The Daily Caller Joins White House Press Pool
In February 2010, The Daily Caller became part of the White House rotating press pool.
September 2010: Carlson Hosts Special on Fox News
In September 2010, Tucker Carlson produced and hosted a special entitled "Fighting for Our Children's Minds" on Fox News.
2010: Co-founding of The Daily Caller
In 2010, Tucker Carlson co-founded The Daily Caller.
February 2012: The Daily Caller Publishes Exposé on Media Matters
In February 2012, The Daily Caller published an "investigative series" of articles co-authored by Carlson, purporting to be an insiders' exposé of Media Matters for America and its founder David Brock.
2012: Mitt Romney Presidential Campaign
In 2012, Mitt Romney was the Republican nominee for president.
April 2013: Carlson Joins Fox & Friends Weekend
In April 2013, Tucker Carlson replaced Dave Briggs as a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend.
2015: Senior fellow at Cato Institute
From 2009 through 2015, Tucker Carlson was a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.
March 2016: Criticism of Mitt Romney's Denouncement of Trump
In March 2016, after Mitt Romney denounced Donald Trump for his "disqualifying and disgusting response" to questions about David Duke's support, Tucker Carlson criticized Romney and dismissed his speech by suggesting "Obama could have written this."
November 14, 2016: Tucker Carlson Tonight Premiere
On November 14, 2016, Tucker Carlson began hosting "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Fox News, replacing "On the Record".
2016: Host of Tucker Carlson Tonight
In 2016, Tucker Carlson began hosting Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News.
January 9, 2017: Tucker Carlson Tonight Moves to 9:00 PM
On January 9, 2017, Tucker Carlson's show replaced Megyn Kelly at the 9:00 PM time slot after she left Fox News.
January 2017: Tucker Carlson Tonight Scores High Ratings
In January 2017, "Tucker Carlson Tonight" averaged 2.8 million viewers per night, ranking as the number two cable news program behind "The O'Reilly Factor".
February 23, 2017: The Atlantic describes Carlson's talent for partisan combat
On February 23, 2017, The Atlantic wrote that Tucker Carlson's true talent is not for political philosophizing, it's for televised partisan combat.
March 2017: Tucker Carlson Tonight Most Watched Cable Program
In March 2017, "Tucker Carlson Tonight" was the most watched cable program in the 9:00 PM time slot.
April 19, 2017: Tucker Carlson Tonight Airs at 8:00 PM
On April 19, 2017, following the cancellation of "The O'Reilly Factor", Fox News announced that "Tucker Carlson Tonight" would air at 8:00 PM.
May 2017: Book Deal with Simon & Schuster
In May 2017, Tucker Carlson, represented by Javelin, signed an eight-figure, two-book deal with Simon & Schuster's Threshold Editions.
September 19, 2017: GQ profile describes Carlson's tactics
On September 19, 2017, Stephen Rodrick wrote in a GQ profile of Carlson that on his show, Carlson mocks and verbally body-slams those who disagree with him.
March 2018: Tucker Carlson Tonight 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 Second-Highest Rated Show
In October 2018, "Tucker Carlson Tonight" was the second-highest rated cable news show in prime time, 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: Promoted populist economics
Beginning in 2018, Tucker Carlson promoted more populist economics, attacking libertarianism, saying "market capitalism is not a religion" and portraying some Republicans as "controlled by the banks".
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."
June 2019: Dissuaded Trump from launching military strikes against Iran
In June 2019, Tucker Carlson reportedly played an influential role in dissuading President Trump from launching military strikes against Iran after the shooting down of an American drone.
September 10, 2019: Bolton fired after Carlson lobbied Trump
On September 10, 2019, John Bolton was fired as national security advisor after Tucker Carlson lobbied Donald Trump to fire him. Carlson had criticized Bolton for seeking a military strike against Iran.
2019: Criticized hedge funds and praised Elizabeth Warren's economic plan
In 2019, Tucker Carlson criticized hedge funds (singling out the Republican donor Paul Singer) and praised Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren's economic plan. He also called Warren's 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.
October 2020: Tucker Carlson Tonight Reaches 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.
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.
2020: Fox News defends Carlson in slander lawsuit
In 2020, Fox News successfully defended Tucker Carlson in a slander lawsuit by Karen McDougal, citing Carlson's use of hyperbole as a rhetorical device.
2020: Departure from The Daily Caller
In 2020, Tucker Carlson sold his ownership stake and left The Daily Caller.
2020: Response to Head Writer's Firing
In 2020, after his head writer was fired for hateful blog posts, Tucker Carlson stated, "They have no connection to the show. It is wrong to attack people for qualities they cannot control."
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 Fox Nation.
June 21, 2021: Report as Media Source
On June 21, 2021, The New York Times reported that Tucker Carlson was a media source for several journalists and authors who wrote critically of Donald Trump.
July 2021: Time article discusses Carlson's statements
In July 2021, Charlotte Alter of Time wrote that Carlson sometimes tells "outright falsehoods", but generally "avoids assertions that are factually disprovable, instead sticking to innuendo".
August 2021: Traveled to Hungary and praised Viktor Orbán
In August 2021, Tucker Carlson traveled to Hungary, broadcasting from Budapest. He praised the country and its prime minister, Viktor Orbán, for rejecting asylum seekers and downplayed authoritarian concerns.
August 2021: Release of The Long Slide
In August 2021, Tucker Carlson's second book, "The Long Slide: Thirty Years in American Journalism", was released.
2021: Tucker Carlson Tonight Remains Most-Watched Cable Show
As of mid-2021, Tucker Carlson Tonight remained the most-watched news-related cable show.
2021: Carlson's Influence and Power
In 2021, Time suggested Tucker Carlson could be the most powerful conservative in America. Mediaite named Carlson the most influential person in news media in 2021.
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.
January 2022: Released 'Hungary vs. Soros' on Fox Nation
In January 2022, Tucker Carlson released the film "Hungary vs. Soros" on Fox Nation, promoting conspiracy theories about George Soros. The film was criticized for being "anti-American propaganda".
April 2022: The New York Times publishes "American Nationalist"
In April 2022, The New York Times published a three-part 20,000-word investigative series on Carlson called "American Nationalist" which accuses Tucker Carlson Tonight as "what may be the most racist show in the history of cable news." Carlson responded that he has not read it and does not plan to.
May 2022: Tucker Carlson Tonight Second to The Five
Through May 2022 Tucker Carlson Tonight was a close second to The Five in viewership, while leading in the 25–54 demographic.
October 2022: Tulsi Gabbard's Appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight
In October 2022, Tulsi Gabbard appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight the night she left the Democratic Party, which Carlson praised.
2022: Acknowledging Factual Errors
In 2022, Bump argued that compared with other television anchors, Carlson is loath to acknowledge factual errors in his commentary.
April 2023: Cancellation of Tucker Carlson Tonight and Launch of New Show
In April 2023, Fox News canceled Tucker Carlson Tonight, leading Tucker Carlson to launch his own program, The Tucker Carlson Show.
April 24, 2023: Fox News Dismisses Carlson
On April 24, 2023, Fox News dismissed Tucker Carlson and the executive producer of his evening show without prior notice.
May 9, 2023: Carlson Announces Show Relaunch on Twitter
On May 9, 2023, Tucker Carlson announced he would relaunch his show on Twitter. His attorneys also alleged that Fox executives broke promises to him.
June 6, 2023: Release of Tucker on Twitter's First Episode
On June 6, 2023, Tucker Carlson released the first episode of his show, "Tucker on Twitter." During the episode, he made controversial claims about extraterrestrial starships, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Kakhovka Dam destruction, Black Lives Matter riots, and the September 11 attacks.
June 2023: Reported Pursuit of Funds for New Media Company
In June 2023, it was reported that Tucker Carlson was seeking funds with Neil Patel to start a new media company.
August 23, 2023: Donald Trump Interview on Tucker on X
On August 23, 2023, Tucker Carlson hosted Donald Trump on "Tucker on X" (formerly Twitter), coinciding with the first 2024 Republican debate.
September 6, 2023: Interview with Larry Sinclair
On September 6, 2023, Tucker Carlson interviewed Larry Sinclair, who made controversial claims about Barack Obama. This interview was criticized by many, including Elon Musk.
October 2023: Guest Hosts Fill Carlson's Old Slot
As of October 2023, a rotation of guest hosts fill Tucker Carlson's old slot on Fox News until a permanent replacement is found.
2023: Release of Tucker Biography
In 2023, Chadwick Moore released a biography of Tucker Carlson titled "Tucker". Carlson assisted Moore with the book, which focused on Carlson's exit from Fox News. The book performed poorly in sales.
2023: End of Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News
In 2023, Tucker Carlson's contract with Fox News was terminated, ending Tucker Carlson Tonight.
February 2024: Interview with Vladimir Putin
In February 2024, Tucker Carlson became the first Western journalist to interview Vladimir Putin since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
May 2024: Launch of The Tucker Carlson Show Podcast
In May 2024, Tucker Carlson launched his weekly commentary podcast, "The Tucker Carlson Show."
July 2024: "The Tucker Carlson Show" Reached #1 on Spotify
By July 2024, "The Tucker Carlson Show" became one of the highest-rating political podcasts, reaching the #1 spot on Spotify.
September 2, 2024: Hosting Darryl Cooper on Tucker on X
On September 2, 2024, Tucker Carlson hosted podcaster and amateur historian Darryl Cooper on "Tucker on X". Cooper endorsed Holocaust denial, causing controversy.
2024: Carlson considers a presidential run
In 2024, Tucker Carlson stated on his podcast that he would consider running for president in 2028, but conceded that he didn't think he'd be very good at it.
September 2025: Criticism of Pam Bondi
In September 2025, Tucker Carlson criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for allegedly attempting to exploit the assassination of Charlie Kirk to suppress free speech in the United States.
2028: Possible presidential run
In 2024, while discussing a potential run for president in 2028, Tucker Carlson conceded that he didn't think he'd be very good at it.
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