As we reported, Never Trump commentators Stephen Hayes and Jonah Goldberg announced this week that they were leaving Fox as contributors because of Tucker Carlson’s Jan. 6 special.
Many laughed at the pomposity of their announcement, with some noting they didn’t even know they still were working there. Who would really notice or care if they were gone?
The two ran to the NY Times to make their announcement, which shows exactly where their minds are at and to whom they are trying to cater. Hint: it’s not Republicans or conservatives.
The same people who fall for their nonsense were all agog over their announcement and ‘character.’
Admirable—and difficult—decision by two people of character and conscience. https://t.co/UUiUcOku9P
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) November 22, 2021
Tucker Carlson had the perfect response to them.
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) November 22, 2021
He went a little further in a statement he made, noting that their departure “would substantially improve the channel.”
“These are two of the only people in the world who still pretend the Iraq War was a good idea,” Carlson said. “No one wants to watch commentary that stupid.” He declared their leaving “great news” and said “viewers will be grateful.”
However, as with anything about the Never Trump grift, it’s never quite what it seems. It turns out there was a little more behind the story, as a Fox executive revealed. He said “the network had no intention of re-signing Steve Hayes or Jonah Goldberg when their contracts came up in 2022.”
Oh. Now, how hilarious is that? In other words, they made this great big posturing move, but they were on their way out anyway, because they weren’t going to be renewed. So, that’s the real context here. Did they know that? Because now, it sounds like an “I quit before they were going to let me go” situation.
And was this ‘quitting’ an effort to make themselves more appealing to their liberal buddies, so that they might get contributing slots on CNN or MSNBC as the ‘oh so principled’ ‘Republican’ commentators because they weren’t going to have their deals at Fox anymore? You know that for neo-cons, that’s likely the next move.
LOL. They didn’t quit because of Tucker. They didn’t even really quit. Fox planned on getting rid of them because the audience hated them for being dishonest left-wing grifters who were wrong about everything. 🤡🤡🤡 pic.twitter.com/UU6uyhKGSj
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) November 22, 2021
UPDATE: A Fox News executive confirmed to RedState that Hayes and Goldberg’s contracts were not scheduled to be renewed before they announced their resignation.
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