After what could only be described as a dizzying month in news media, Fox is on the hunt for a Tucker Carlson replacement. Cockburn has some thoughts — and suggestions — on who might be a good fit for the network’s coveted 8 p.m. slot.
First, there are obvious candidates within Fox already. Jesse Watters currently hosts Jesse Watters Primetime in the 7 p.m. time slot. Bumping Watters up an hour is thought to be the preferred and likeliest solution within the network. Greg Gutfeld is a close second, having hosted late-night shows from 2007 to the present, with the current Gutfeld! earning impressive viewership numbers. On the more conventional side, there is Brian Kilmeade, who hosts both the weekday Fox & Friends and Saturday’s One Nation with Brian Kilmeade. Kilmeade is the company man who slotted in for Tucker on the day of his firing. Replacing Carlson with Kilmeade would be a noted shift for the network, as Kilmeade is not known for being a firebrand like Tucker. Will Cain is another option, having served as a co-host of the weekend version of Fox & Friends, which pulls in high ratings. That was also Tucker’s pre-primetime gig. And former Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany is guest-hosting in the 8 p.m. slot this week.
Moving to the unconventional, Fox could go with Tulsi Gabbard, a favorite guest of Carlson’s due to her anti-interventionist foreign affairs views and critiques of Democratic excesses. Tulsi might be a tough sell to the Fox audience, though, given her previous Democratic political affiliation.
Cockburn could also float some of his Spectator comrades as alternatives… Ben Domenech, Amber Athey, Douglas Murray. After all, the key to Carlson’s success as a host was that he was a maverick, unlike anyone else on the network. Who else could bring that outsider energy?
What about… Vivek Ramaswamy? Ramaswamy, who was due to appear on Carlson’s show last Monday, would be unique in the history of cable news by being both a host and a candidate for a major party’s presidential nomination at the same time. Who knows? He might even work for free because he’s already a multimillionaire.
If the network really wanted to make a splash, it could hire Caitlyn Jenner, who would bring ample television experience, not least from Keeping Up with the Kardashians. And what better voice to advocate, as Jenner has done, keeping biological men out of women’s sports?
If Greg Gutfeld doesn’t scratch the comedic itch enough, there is always Dennis Miller. He appeared regularly on the O’Reilly Factor — Tucker Carlson Tonight’s immediate predecessor — and has a long history of television experience, including on RT, which is funded by the Russian government. Might as well keep Tucker’s viewers in the Kremlin happy…
Without Tucker, Fox News is likely to find itself accused of racism less frequently. Let’s fix that: with View cohost Sunny Hostin. Hostin has caused controversy by attacking Nikki Haley for not using her “real name” (nice one, Asunción!) and referring to white women who vote Republican as “roaches voting for Raid.” She wields the shrillest dog whistle in the media — but the disappointing premiere of her latest romance novel, Summer on Sag Harbor, perhaps indicates a limited appetite for more.
To round things out, how about a real left-fielder: Don Lemon. Hear Cockburn out. The poor host just lost his job at CNN, and needs a place to go. Out of charity, the network should consider him — and given the past few years, Fox should be more than equipped to stage-manage Lemon’s “psychotic” treatment of his coworkers. Maybe he could even co-host with Nikki Haley. Just think: two quinquagenarians, in their prime, in primetime…
