AP Picture/Seth Wenig
On the night time of Jan. 6, 2021, Fox Information host Tucker Carlson spoke of then-President Donald Trump as “a demonic pressure” in a text to his producer after Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol that day.
It used to be considered one of many revelations in a submitting with the aid of Dominion Vote casting Methods, which is suing Fox Information for defamation and seeking $1.6 billion in damages.
At problem are claims Fox News hosts and guests made shortly after the 2020 presidential election. Some of them steered or said outright that Dominion’s machines had been a part of a scheme to steal the competition from Trump, who claimed the election was rigged.
Two days after the 2020 election with the end result yet to be determined, Carlson fumed by way of text about Fox Information calling Arizona for Joe Biden. Dominion’s submitting notes the network was once taking heavy criticism from conservatives at the time. In step with a textual content in the filing (web page 19), the Arizona call gave the impression to lead to consternation among the community’s biggest stars:
Fox Hosts Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity instantly understood the possibility to them in my view. Carlson wrote his producer Alex Pfeiffer on November 5: “We labored really hard to construct what we have. These fuckers are destroying our credibility. It enrages me.” He added that he had spoken with Laura and [S]ean a minute ago and they are extremely upset,” Carlson referred to: “At this point we’re getting harm no matter what.” Pfeiffer responded: It’s a troublesome needle to string, but I in point of fact think many on our facet are being reckless demagogues at this time. Tucker replied: In fact they are. We’re not going to practice them.” And he added: What [Trump]’s just right at is destroying things. He’s the undisputed world champion of that. He might simply destroy us if we play it flawed.”
Two months later, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol constructing to overturn the election whereas Congress was inside certifying the implications.
The filing includes a textual content from Carlson to his producer later that day (web page forty three) wherein the Fox News host calls Trump “a demonic drive”:
After January 6, trying to thread the needle between the reality and drive from his viewers and sponsors become even more tough. Late on January 6, Carlson texted with Pfeiffer that Trump is “a demonic force, a destroyer. However he’s now not going to destroy us.” On January 26, Carlson invited his major sponsor Mike Lindell on his exhibit, the place Lindell spouted these similar conspiracies on air after previewing them for Carlson’s body of workers right through a pre-interview.
On his exhibit, Carlson has downplayed the Capitol rebel and even referred to it as an “election justice protest.”
Somewhere else in the filing is a text where Carlson tells Sean Hannity that Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich will have to be “fired” over a truth test of Trump’s election lie.
“Please get her fired,” he mentioned. “Significantly.”
Fox News says Dominion’s lawsuit is meritless.
“There might be a variety of noise and confusion generated by Dominion and their opportunistic private equity owners, however the core of this case is still about freedom of the clicking and freedom of speech, which can be basic rights afforded with the aid of the Structure and protected by using New York Instances v. Sullivan,” Fox News stated in a remark.
Fox Information filed an amended counterclaim in opposition to Dominion on Thursday.
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