“Fox and Friends” co-anchor Brian Kilmeade stepped in to cover Tucker Carlson’s vacant Monday night primetime slot after the longtime host was fired by the network Monday morning.
Kilmeade hosted the 8 p.m. hour on Monday as “Fox News Tonight” replaces “Tucker Carlson Tonight” with a rotating roster of hosts until a permanent host is named.
“As you probably have heard, Fox News and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” Kilmeade said at the top of the show. “I wish Tucker the best. I’m great friends with Tucker and always will be.”
Kilmeade then moved onto the show, which kicked off with a segment about an apparent FBI whistleblower who, according to the Fox News topic bar, alleges that President Biden uses the bureau to “target opponents.” Watch video of the top of the show below.
“Fox News Tonight” has been described by the network “as an interim show helmed by rotating Fox News personalities until a new host is named.” It is not known at this time what additional hosts will appear this week and at what point a new host will be named.
Kilmeade currently co-hosts Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” alongside Steve Doocy and Ainsley Earhardt weekdays from 6 am to 9 a.m. ET. He also hosts “One Nation with Brian Kilmeade” on Saturdays at 8 p.m. ET.
The show change was instituted hours after Carlson was announced to have exited the network, effective immediately.
“Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” read a statement from Fox News Media, obtained by TheWrap. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”
Airing his last program Friday, Carlson’s departure also comes as the cable news network’s parent company settled with Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit for $787.5 million.
Following Carlson’s abrupt exit, the Los Angeles Times reported that Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch made the decision to terminate the popular host and that it was related to a discrimination lawsuit filed by former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg, which accused the “Tucker Carlson Tonight” anchor and his staff of making sexist and antisemitic jokes. Fox News Channel declined to comment.
