Tucker Carlson's Biography
American journalist Tucker Carlson grew up in a conservative household. He'd later champion those same views throughout his media career. While Tucker's conservative takes weren't exactly crowd-pleasers, his shows consistently pulled massive ratings. Carlson delivered commentary on political talk shows, penned pieces for top American publications, and in 2016 launched his own show "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Fox News.The show's ratings were through the roof: on air, Tucker—dubbed "the primary voice of white American discontent"—railed against abortions, migrants, coronavirus vaccines, while backing Donald Trump. Despite his controversial positions driving advertisers away, Carlson's show still drew 3.5 million viewers.

Childhood and Family
Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson was born on May 16, 1969, in San Francisco, the principal city of Northern California. His ancestors include influential Swiss, English, Italian, and German individuals who were foundational to American society.Tucker was distantly related to Ebenezer Hoar (United States Attorney General from 1869 to 1870, an associate of President Ulysses Grant) and George Brooks (a member of the 41st and 42nd United States Congress). His great-great-great-grandfather, Henry Miller, held the unofficial title of "Cattle King of California" and was considered one of the largest landowners in 19th-century America.
Tucker's father, Richard Carlson (born Boynton, adopted at age two by the Carlson family, owners of the Winslow Brothers & Smith tannery), was a renowned gonzo journalist who exposed politicians collaborating with the mafia, led the Voice of America radio company, and became the US Ambassador to the Seychelles in the early 1990s. He also ran for Mayor of San Diego. Tucker's mother, Lisa McNear, was an artist.

Three years later, Carlson Sr. remarried. His new wife was Patricia Caroline Swanson, the heiress to the Swanson Enterprises food conglomerate. She adopted Tucker and Buckley.
By the early 1980s, the whole family had moved to San Diego, where Tucker's father was actively building his political career. They settled in a mansion in the upscale La Jolla area. Carlson attended a private school filled with children of wealthy white parents.

Because of his sharp tongue and habit of arguing with teachers, Tucker was never among the top students. After graduation, he wasn't accepted into a highly prestigious university – and Carlson took pride in that. His girlfriend's father, his future father-in-law, managed to find Tucker a place at Trinity College in Connecticut. In 1992, Carlson earned a bachelor's degree in history there and chose not to pursue further education.
Career Beginnings
In 1992, Tucker attempted to secure a position at the Central Intelligence Agency. However, his application was rejected without explanation, leading him to pursue journalism instead.Media outlets were reluctant to hire a newcomer, but he landed a job at Policy Review magazine, fact-checking articles by other correspondents. He also wrote pieces for local Arkansas publications.

He gained notoriety in the press in September 1999, after a five-page interview for Talk magazine with George W. Bush, who was then the Governor of Texas and a presidential candidate. The article was titled "George W. Bush Doesn't Care What You Think of Him. That's Why You Might Vote for Him".
Overall, the journalist spoke highly of the future president, though he noted Bush's frequent use of profanity. However, readers weren't pleased that Bush made dismissive comments about Karla Faye Tucker, whose clemency petition he'd denied, and when the journalist asked "Tell me about something you can't do," Bush replied: "Sit down and read a 500-page book on public policy, philosophy, or whatever else."

Television Career
In 2000, Tucker Carlson was invited to join CNN. A year later, he got his own show, "Crossfire." In a debate format, Carlson discussed the latest world news with both right-wing and left-wing politicians.Despite the show's success, the channel decided not to renew Tucker's contract in 2005. Rumors suggested the decision stemmed from an on-air clash between Tucker and comedian Jon Stewart. The video of their argument went viral on the internet.
Carlson hosted programs on PBS for a while, then joined CNN rival MSNBC—seemingly in retaliation. There, in 2005, his new show "Tucker" premiered. The program was canceled in 2008 due to low ratings.

In 2009, Fox News brought Tucker aboard. Initially, he appeared as an expert on other journalists' shows.
In 2010, Carlson, together with Neil Patel, launched the website The Daily Caller, which specialized in political news. Tucker wrote for the site and served as editor-in-chief. Some articles critical of Democrats sparked controversy. A month later, the publication was included in the White House press pool.

"Tucker Carlson Tonight"
In 2013, Carlson became the co-host of the show "Fox & Friends Weekend." Three years later, he began hosting "Tucker Carlson Tonight." By then, he'd become one of TV's most prominent government critics. He actively opposed Barack Obama's re-election campaign.The debut episode pulled in 3.7 million viewers, thanks to his established TV following. Within a year, it became cable's second-highest-rated primetime news show.
The show's popularity soared thanks to Tucker's fearless takes on controversial topics. He tackled abortion, gender issues, sexism, and immigration head-on.

He also opposed overthrowing Syria's Bashar al-Assad, criticized Black Lives Matter and pandemic health officials, and advocated for friendlier ties with Russia. These positions cost him major advertisers—Disney and Papa John's pulled their sponsorships.
But his conservative stance kept viewers hooked, driving the show's popularity even higher. By the 2020 election, "Tucker Carlson Tonight" was averaging 5.36 million viewers daily—a cable TV record.

Firing from Fox News
After Biden's 2020 victory, Carlson repeatedly suggested vote rigging involving Dominion Voting Systems' election software. Dominion called the claims defamatory and sued Fox News.After months of legal wrangling, they settled in April 2023. Fox agreed to pay over $767 million—a record defamation settlement in U.S. media history.
Days later, Fox fired Carlson. The executive producer of his show also lost his job. He found out just hours before the public announcement. The Dominion scandal was likely the final straw. Carlson claimed he was fired because American media "isn't free and is censored."

Fox News management wasn't happy. The network reminded him his contract ran through 2024, meaning they still owned the rights to "Tucker Carlson Tonight" despite firing him. Carlson kept producing content while his lawyers battled Fox over the rights.
Tucker Carlson's Personal Life
Tucker met his future wife, Susan Andrews, when he was 15 years old. They both went to college in Rhode Island. Andrews' father was the headmaster of the school. "She was the cutest senior in America," Carlson said about his wife.

Tucker Carlson Now
In August 2023, Russia Today head Margarita Simonyan first claimed that Tucker Carlson wanted to interview Vladimir Putin. A month later, Carlson confirmed his intentions and said he'd planned the interview earlier but claimed the White House had deliberately sabotaged his meeting with Putin. Carlson defended the need for the interview, saying most Americans 'knew nothing about what was happening in Russia and Ukraine.'
Some sources also claimed that while in Russia, Tucker met with former NSA employee Edward Snowden and former Biden aide Tara Reade for interviews. However, Carlson himself denied these claims.
Interesting Facts
- Tucker was named after his ancestors—J. Tucker and George McNair.
- Tucker Carlson wrote his first book at the age of 23. It was titled "People vs. Crime: How Residents Can Restore Order in the Streets of the USA." Unfortunately, no publisher would take it on.
- He eventually published three books: "Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites: My Adventures in Cable News" (2003), "Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class Is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution" (2018), and "The Long Slide: Thirty Years in American Journalism" (2021).
- In the early 2000s, Tucker made bow ties his signature look—he's never seen in public without one.
- The journalist is left-handed.
- He's dealt with dyslexia since childhood.
- Carlson is obsessed with Finnish saunas—he spends an hour and a half in one every day.
- In 2003, Tucker recorded an interview with Britney Spears. He asked the singer about her stance on the war in Iraq. A clip of the conversation was included in the film "Fahrenheit 9/11," which won the Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Spears, meanwhile, earned a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress.
- In 2018, unidentified activists targeted Tucker's home, vandalizing the facade and trying to break in while only his wife was inside.
- In 2021, Time magazine named Carlson the most influential conservative in the USA.
Important Dates in My Life
- 1992 – Became a fact-checker at Policy Review magazine
- 1995 – Started working at The Weekly Standard
- 1999 – Recorded an interview with George W. Bush
- 2000 – Began working for CNN
- 2001 – Became the host of the show "Crossfire"
- 2005 – Left CNN, joined MSNBC, and began hosting "The Situation with Tucker Carlson"
- 2009 – Started working for Fox News
- 2010 – Launched the website The Daily Caller
- 2016 – Became the host of "Tucker Carlson Tonight"
- 2023 – Was fired from Fox News, began releasing "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on social network X
- 2024 – Recorded an interview with Vladimir Putin