Fox News is plotting to replace its exiled host Tucker Carlson by moving Sean Hannity up an hour and giving that newly-vacated time slot to Jesse Watters, according to a new report the media outlet has downplayed.
As part of the move, reported by Drudge Report this morning, Greg Gutfeld would also move to prime time, potentially leaving his wildly successful 11 p.m. late-night show.
The alleged move could allow the network to bring a highly rated program to the former Carlson block – which has struggled massively to regain viewers since the network fired the newsman – without forcing the host to live with the reputation as Carlson’s replacement.
While the network’s ratings have remained unsteady since firing Carlson, it downplayed the rumor in a statement to Variety, telling the outlet that “no decision has been made” for how to replace Carlson and “there are multiple scenarios under consideration.”
🚨BREAKING: Fox News to replace Tucker Carlson at 8pm ET with Hannity, will be followed by Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld.
– Drudge Report
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 17, 2023
Though Hannity and Carlson reportedly enjoyed a cordial relationship at the network, the men’s ideologies seem to differ on key issues that matter to Trump supporters. One such example came last year, when Hannity and Sen. John Kennedy argued in favor of Elon Musk censoring “hate speech” on Twitter.
“The question is, if you really want to have a freedom of speech platform, I mean any reasonable person with a conscience and a soul deplores real racism and deplores, um, real antisemitism,” Hannity said during the televised interview, prompting Kennedy to agree with an “Mhm.”
While some rumors indicate Carlson was fired for his refusal to stop reporting about January 6 and allegations that it was allowed or coordinated by federal intelligence agencies, Hannity reportedly urged 45th President Donald Trump to offer a presidential pardon to Hunter Biden as an apparent peace offering during the fallout from the Capitol protests.
Image: Flickr/Gage Skidmore
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani also claimed last December that he attempted to bring the Hunter Biden Laptop to Hannity and Fox News in 2019, long before it was published by the New York Post, but Hannity and a series of other media “buried it.”
Hannity previously hosted the 9 p.m. time slot, steering the network after “The O’Reilly Factor” and Megyn Kelly’s short-lived program. He was moved to 10 p.m. after Carlson was given a prime time position in 2017.
This week a video was released by James O’Keefe’s new O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) in which a Fox News producer claimed that Carlson was fired due to a confluence of complaints regarding his impact on the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit and Carlson’s reporting on January 6.
Recognizing Truth
May 17, 2023 at 5:33 pm
Hannity’s been compromised for years now.
Waters is a decent enough guy and a solid conservative (so far) – but nowhere near the solid stand-your-ground truth speaking of Carlson.
Mountain man
May 18, 2023 at 7:22 am
Put Biden/Obama in the 8 p.m slot and call it Americas comedy hour
Rattlerjake
May 23, 2023 at 12:42 pm
There’s nothing funny about what bidung and oh0m0 are doing to this nation.
Rebecca Holstine
May 18, 2023 at 10:43 am
This line up isn’t going to change my mind about not watching Fox.I tuned in to see Tucker. The others only got my time if I got there early and decided to watch a bit Waters. Hannity talks too much.I hardly ever stayed to watch him. I did watch the FIVE, but don’t tune into them anymore!
Old wolf
May 18, 2023 at 12:21 pm
looks like I’ll no longer be watching watter, hannity or gutfeld. or any fox news
JohnGaltTexas
May 22, 2023 at 10:43 am
I can’t listen to that babbling dimwit Hannity bloviate and talk over his guests all the time. I quit watching him a long time ago, I quit watching MSFNC about a month ago now.
Watters needs to find a new home before the FNC nazis show him the door too.
peasant
May 23, 2023 at 1:45 am
Okay, so Jesse will be taking the 8pm, Hannity stays on at 9, and Guttfield at 10. I’m guessing Laura will be taking the 11 spot?
It doesn’t matter to me anyway, as I stopped watching FAUX after Tucker got the ax. I do sneak in to watch Mark Levine, sometimes Guttfield & occasionally Maria B on the FBN. Hannity has annoyed me for quite sometime now, he appears to be phony & then the live audience set up was just too stupid & annoying……. For the most part now, I watch less & less of FAUX and more & more of NewsMax & GOD HOW I MISS OAN!