He was rejected by the CIA, came to journalism by chance and ended up being the most watched anchor in the United States, Who is Tucker Carlson?

Tucker Carlson will leave Fox News after 14 years. The news shook both the journalistic and political worlds, as the popular anchor enjoyed millions of viewers every night. While he decides his future, let's take a look back at his career, from when he wanted to join the CIA to when he became the highest rated man on American television.

He was born on May 16, 1969 in San Francisco, California to a wealthy family and attended high school in Rhode Island, where he met his later wife, Susan Andrews. He was raised by a single father and from an early age showed interest and debating skills, so he started organizing debates in high school. When it was time to go to college, he entered Trinity College in Connecticut, where he again participated in numerous debates. It is said that at that time she began to wear her distinctive bow tie.

Failed entry into the CIA and beginnings in journalism

By 1992, with a history degree under his belt, Carlson tried unsuccessfully to join the CIA. Frustrated, he sought advice from his father, who advised him to go into journalism because "they'll take anyone". He found his first job in the industry at Policy Review, where he was a fact-checker. He later landed at the Arkansas Democrat Gazzette, where he made a name for himself as a columnist.

According to POLITICO's John F. Harris, Carlson was seen for years as "an important voice of the intelligentsia," reaching out with his columns to outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, Slate and The Daily Beast, among others. One of his most memorable moments during his time in the print media was with George W. Bush as the protagonist. When the journalist published the interview he had with the then presidential candidate, he quoted him repeatedly using the word "caraj..." and mocking Karla Faye Tucker, executed in Texas during Bush's tenure as governor.

"Mr. Carlson misunderstood me, mischaracterized me. He is a good reporter, he just misunderstood how serious I was. I take the death penalty very seriously," the then-candidate clarified at the time. At the time, the article was widely applauded by the most leftist and anti-Republican.

His landing on television was purely by chance and thanks to former footballer O.J. Simpsonwho was accused of double homicide in the 1990s. Specifically, he claimed to be an expert on his case in order to win the space on a television panel, which was not true. Since then, he got used to being in front of a camera.

Tucker Carlson comes to television

He came to CNN' s screen in 2001, when he played the Republican wing alongside Robert Novak in the program

Crossfire

. The cycle came to an end in 2004, after his exchange with Jon Stewart. At that time, the comedian assured that the program was not good for society, so it should be cancelled. Here the versions are different. According to the network, Carlson was told that he would not continue, while the presenter claims to have resigned.

Once the controversy was over, he briefly migrated to PBS, and then ended up at MSNBC, where he hosted a new program called Tucker, where he began to captivate the audience with his provocative, sincere and histrionic style, always from the most conservative and libertarian side. His popularity led him to participate in season three of the reality show Bailando con las Estrellas. After a better performance by Cha-cha-cha, he was the first eliminated of the contest.

In 2009 he was hired by Fox News, a channel that allowed him to reach the peak of popularity in his career. He began as a collaborator, panelist and substitute host, until, after the 2016 presidential elections, the network ceded prime time to him. Here's how it came to be

Tucker Carlson Tonight

the show would make him the highest-rated anchor in cable news history.

His tenure in the media was marked by periods of high ratings and controversy for his remarks on Black Lives Matter, immigration, Coronavirus and Islam. His crosses with leftist activists often went viral on social networks, making him a controversial figure in journalism.

Exit Fox News

As for his political views, he is more related to conservatism and libertarianism. Although he voted Republican in the 2000 election, he was highly critical of Mitt Romney in 2012 and maintains a back-and-forth relationship with former President Donald Trump. Despite criticizing him on numerous occasions, it is believed that he influenced certain decisions of his government.

Although he never sought public office, his name was rumored as a Libertarian candidate in the 2008 presidential election, as well as for the office of vice president in 2024, as part of the Republican ticket.

His departure from Fox News came just under a week after the media outlet settled a lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems. The parties reached an $800 million settlement, thus avoiding a trial in which Carlson was expected to testify. The news triggered an initial drop of more than 5% in the company's shares, which then fell to less than 4%, the equivalent of millions of dollars.

"FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as an anchor and previously as a contributor," the company wrote in a statement.