After Fox News sent a cease-and-desist letter to try and silence Tucker Carlson, the former news anchor’s attorney fired back with a defense of free speech and condemnation of the network.
Carlson’s hit primetime Fox News show was canceled on April 21 with no warning. However, Fox News didn’t actually fire their most popular host — instead attempting to keep him in his contract so that he is unable to take his talents elsewhere. Critics have argued that the network, which has recently appeared to be moving away from its conservative roots, is trying to silence Carlson for two reasons — to prevent him from competing with them, and to keep him from having any influence over the 2024 election.
However, the former Fox News host still ended up creating his own show on Twitter — with the first episode on June 6 centering around the Russia-Ukraine war. That video received more than 100 million views.
On Monday, Axios broke the news that Fox News had sent a cease-and-desist letter to Carlson. In the letter, they accused him of violating his contract and claimed that it prevented him from “rendering services of any type whatsoever, whether ‘over the internet via streaming or similar distribution, or other digital distribution whether now known or hereafter devised.’”
Carlson seemed unfazed by the letter, as he posted the second episode of his new show soon after receiving it.
On Monday morning, attorney Harmeet Dhillon shared the link to the Axios article and commented in a Twitter thread on Fox News’ attempted silencing of her client.
“My friend and client @TuckerCarlson will not be silenced by the far left or Fox News,” Dhillon tweeted.
My friend and client @TuckerCarlson will not be silenced — by the far left or by Fox News. Scoop: Fox sends Tucker Carlson cease-and-desist letter https://t.co/1vUCMoQXOa
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) June 12, 2023
The attorney then explained that she will be refusing to appear on Fox News for the foreseeable future in response to their actions — writing that the network is “not a place” for her until it “stops trying to silence Tucker.”
Dhillon also expressed sympathy for her friends that are still under contract at Fox News, before noting that she is “passionately committed to free speech and a free flow of information necessary for a free society.”
She went on to urge Congress, influencers and GOP officials to join her in refusing to appear on Fox News — arguing that the network has “caved into pressure to silence Tucker Carlson.”
“Do you really want to air your views on a network that spits on its viewers, leaks oppo on its own talent, and even threatens former talent for speaking, for free, on @Twitter?” Dhillon asked.
“You have free will!” she continued, adding: “What you are seeing on Fox today is a censored version of the news.”
While Carlson’s new Twitter show has been very popular, Fox News has faced a significant drop in viewership after canceling his primetime show.
His former executive producer revealed on Sunday that the next episode of “Tucker on Twitter” will be published on Tuesday, and will cover former President Donald Trump’s indictment.
Next Episode of Tucker on Twitter coming Tuesday: Tucker’s response to the indictment of President Donald Trump
— Justin Wells (@justinbwells) June 11, 2023
