Revealed: Tucker Carlson’s Disdain for Trump and Fox News Hosts’ Contempt for Colleagues in Newly Released Documents from $1.6 Billion Lawsuit Against Fox News

A trove of private text messages, emails, and deposition transcripts released Tuesday as part of a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit filed against Fox News by Dominion Voting Systems has offered a new look at the inner workings of the right-wing channel.

The documents reveal that Fox News host Tucker Carlson expressed disdain for then-President Donald Trump in a Jan. 4, 2021 text to an unnamed recipient. In the text, Carlson wrote, “We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I hate him passionately.”

The lawsuit alleges that Fox News gave airtime to Trump’s 2020 election conspiracy claims, including that Dominion’s voting machines were rigged, even though they knew the stories were false. The documents also show the contempt that hosts like Sean Hannity have for some of their colleagues who tried to tell the truth about what actually transpired in the 2020 election.

The documents paint a clearer picture of the effort Carlson placed into placating Trump and his base in the wake of the election. They also provide an inside look at the conversations between Fox News hosts and producers, and how they shape the narrative of the channel.

The lawsuit is ongoing, and it remains to be seen how the documents will factor into the case. However, the documents provide a unique insight into the inner workings of Fox News and the conversations taking place behind the scenes.