Two Cable TV Departures, One Gigantic Difference

Monday morning saw two major TV personalities leave their jobs, but for very different reasons. Tucker Carlson, the Fox News heavyweight, was let go for speaking his mind, even when it went against his own network. Meanwhile, Don Lemon, the CNN anchor, was demoted to a morning show after repeatedly spouting Democratic talking points. The ratings speak for themselves: Carlson was the king of cable TV, with an average of 3.3 million viewers in 2022, while Lemon struggled to attract even 683,000 viewers each night. The reason for this is simple: Americans can smell bullcrap from a mile away. Carlson’s authenticity and willingness to challenge both sides of the political spectrum drew viewers in, while Lemon’s partisan reporting turned them off. Carlson’s shows, such as his coverage of the BLM riots, drove the conversation and challenged viewers’ perspectives, while Lemon’s divisive rhetoric only served to divide the nation. In short, Carlson let the truth guide his reporting, while Lemon let the leftist agenda drive his. The difference between the two couldn’t be more stark.