1 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: Hello everybody, some big breaking news. Tucker Carlson is returning 2 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: to the airwaves, but he's returning on Twitter in an 3 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: interesting turn of events that comes in some big legal drama. 4 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: Before we play you the video, we got to explain 5 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: the context one of the reasons that he is relaunching 6 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: his show on Twitter. The news just broken. Let's go 7 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: ahead and put it up there on the screen. Tucker 8 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: Carlson is now accusing Fox News of fraud and a 9 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: contract breach. So what does that mean. The new letter 10 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: sent by Tucker Carlson and his team is demanding legal action, 11 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: saying that Fox News violated the terms of Tucker Carlson's 12 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: contract and arguing that the non compete provision in his 13 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: contract is no longer valid, freeing him to now launch 14 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: his own competing show or media enterprise. He announced his 15 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: show will be coming to Twitter and the Twitter platform exclusively, 16 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: we believe. Currently there is some speculation that the Twitter 17 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: move would technically violate the Carlson contract, but the lawyers 18 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: say that Fox actually is the one who breached the 19 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: contract first. So for example, the letter was sent by 20 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: Brian Friedman to Fox's lawyer and to their PR people 21 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: and also Rupert Murdoch himself. They say that Fox executives 22 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: specifically have quote made material representations or promises to Carlson 23 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: that were intentionally broken, constituting fraud. Also, they alleged that 24 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: Fox actually broke their agreement with Carlson to not leak 25 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: his private communications to the media and to not use 26 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: his private messages quote to take any adverse employment action 27 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: against him. Basically, they are pointing to the leaked text 28 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: messages from the redacted ones that only foxes in possession 29 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: of to the mainstream media, as well as multiple behind 30 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: the scenes video that clearly were leaked by somebody with 31 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: knowledge or I guess access to the Fox archives. I 32 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: guess you wonder who that would be. So what they 33 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: say is that they believe that the representations by the 34 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: Fox executives amount to enough of a breach of contract 35 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: allowing him then to come in and to launch his 36 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: show on Twitter. The launch is what happened just now 37 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:23,679 Speaker 1: a couple of moments ago. We're going to go and 38 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 1: play the full video for you, which includes a denouncement 39 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: of the mainstream media and an explanation of why Talker 40 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: relaunching a show on Twitter. Specifically, let's get to it. 41 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 2: Hey, it's Tucker Carlson. You often hear of people say 42 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 2: the news is full of lies, but most of the 43 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,839 Speaker 2: time that's not exactly right. Much of what you see 44 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 2: on television or read the New York Times is in 45 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 2: fact true in the literal sense. It could pass one 46 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 2: of the media's own fact checks. Lawyers would be willing 47 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 2: to sign off on it. In fact, they may have, 48 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 2: but that doesn't make it true. It's not true. At 49 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 2: the most basic level, the news you consume is a lie, 50 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 2: a lie of the stealthiest and most insidious kind. Facts 51 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 2: have been withheld on purpose, along with proportion and perspective. 52 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 2: You are being manipulated. How does that work. Let's see, 53 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 2: if I tell you that a man has been unjustly 54 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 2: arrested for armed robbery, that is not, strictly speaking a lie. 55 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 2: He may have been framed. At this point there's been 56 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 2: no trial, so no one can really say. But if 57 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 2: I don't mention the fact that the same man has 58 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 2: been arrested for the same crime six times before, am 59 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 2: I really informing you? No, I'm not. I'm misleading you. 60 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 2: And that's what the news media are doing. In every 61 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: story that matters every day of the week, every week 62 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 2: of the year. What's it like to work in a 63 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 2: system like that? After more than thirty years in the 64 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 2: middle of it, we could tell you stories. The best 65 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 2: you can hope for in the news business at this 66 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 2: point is the freedom to tell the fullest truth that 67 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 2: you can. But there are always limits, and you know 68 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: that if you bump up against those limits often enough, 69 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 2: you will be fired for it. That's not a guess, 70 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 2: it's guaranteed. Every person who works in English language media 71 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 2: understands that the rule of what you can't say defines everything. 72 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 2: It's filthy, really, and it's utterly corrupting. You can't have 73 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 2: a free society if people aren't allowed to say what 74 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 2: they think is true. Speech is the fundamental prerequisite for democracy. 75 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 2: That's why it's enshrined in the first of our constitutional amendments. Amazingly, 76 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 2: as of tonight, there aren't many platforms left that allow 77 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 2: free speech. The last big one remaining in the world. 78 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 2: The only one is Twitter. Where we are now. Twitter 79 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 2: has long served as the place where our national conversation 80 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 2: incubates and develops. Twitter is not a partisan sight. Everybody's 81 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 2: allowed here, and we think that's a good thing, and 82 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 2: yet for the most part, the news that you see 83 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 2: analyzed on Twitter comes from media organizations that are themselves 84 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 2: thinly disguised propaganda outlets. You see it on cable news, 85 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 2: you talk about it on Twitter. The result may feel 86 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 2: like a debate, but actually the gatekeepers are still in charge. 87 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 2: We think that's a bad system. We know exactly how 88 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 2: it works, and we're sick of it. Starting soon, will 89 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 2: be bringing a new version of the show we've been 90 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:14,840 Speaker 2: doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter. 91 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 2: We bring some other things to which we'll tell you about, 92 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 2: but for now, we're just grateful to be here. Free 93 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 2: speech is the main right that you have. Without it, 94 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 2: you have no others. See you sooner. 95 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: Okay, so there's a lot going on here. Obviously, you 96 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:30,719 Speaker 1: know it's pretty crazy that this is all in the 97 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: context of a major lawsuit. But second, let's just talk 98 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: about this in the vacuum on Twitter itself. Fascinating move 99 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 1: to launch just on Twitter for a number of reasons, 100 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 1: and I don't mean this in a disparaging way, but 101 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: you know, traditionally, if you're somebody like who wants a 102 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: long form podcast or YouTube show, specific a visual medium, 103 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: you almost certainly would go to some sort of streaming 104 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: platform which is built kind of with that infrastructure. Twitter 105 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: video is not built really for this at all. So 106 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: I'm very curious to see if this is rolled maybe 107 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: into the Twitter Blue program, or if they include long 108 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: form content, playback, speed, you know, all these other things 109 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: that you would never think about for long form media 110 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 1: distribution and consumption. We should remember that the history of 111 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: long form video on Twitter is not good outside of 112 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: Periscope and live streaming. AM two DM was a BuzzFeed 113 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: News morning show concept was horrifically failed on Twitter. This 114 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: was almost several years ago. Whenever it's shut down, it's 115 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: a big gamble not to go with the traditional route 116 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: of podcasting and of YouTube. Presumptively, though, it's possible that 117 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: this was, you know, maybe the easiest way they thought 118 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 1: that they wouldn't violate as much the terms of the contract, 119 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: rather than going fresh out the gate with YouTube and 120 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,480 Speaker 1: with podcasts. It's also possible Elon cut him a fact check, 121 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: basically becoming a publisher himself, being like, hey, you know, 122 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 1: I've got all the money in the world. I stand 123 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: for free speech. Fox fired you for X, Y and 124 00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: Z I'll hire you and you can report exclusively on 125 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: my platform. That's pretty interesting now in the context of 126 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: what I think about all this, and again I have 127 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 1: not spoken Tom about this literally at all, so I 128 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:11,239 Speaker 1: have no inside knowledge. What I am curious to see 129 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: is the level of reach that this will maintain, because 130 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: I think that this does accomplish something that I know 131 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: was important to him and I think important for kind 132 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: of his role in the GOP and media landscape. Is 133 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: Twitter's where the elite conversation happens, right, So if he 134 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: is exclusively on Twitter, then people who are reacting to 135 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: his clips can do so on Twitter. Also, all the 136 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 1: Republican lawmakers can react on Twitter, because that is so 137 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: key to where all the elites hang out, and it's 138 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: actually kind of the perfect place where if you're going 139 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: to be having elites on Twitter, then it's also a 140 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: great time to ridicule set elites on Twitter, as you 141 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: will do very likely on his show. That then raises 142 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: the question of his cultural relevance, where I think this 143 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: does square the circle somewhat in that way, just because 144 00:07:57,440 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: it will be on that central platform, and of course 145 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: reach will be massive. I mean already I think within 146 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: I think ten minutes of imposting the video, I almost 147 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: had over a million views that were included on the video. Now, 148 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: of course I am not comparing cable news viewers to 149 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: Twitter viewers, which is very, very different. They only have 150 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: to watch for two seconds. You know. Even YouTube views 151 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: are frankly, in my opinion, more comparable. But even then, 152 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: of course they're slightly different. You know, all of these 153 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: things that said very clearly, this will be able to 154 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 1: reach a younger demographic and it's literally unlimited appeal. And 155 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: also you can watch presumably on demand on Twitter at 156 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: any point that you would want to. This may also 157 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: prelude some changes to the overall Twitter platform. So anyways, 158 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: it's a crazy development, and honestly it's a gamble. It's 159 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 1: a gamble to go straight onto Twitter. I personally I 160 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: would have gone a much more traditional route YouTube and podcasts. 161 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,439 Speaker 1: That's what we do. But anyways, lots to be said here. 162 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:58,680 Speaker 1: The lawsuit itself is going to be exciting in terms 163 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: of what it means for non competes in the media sphere, 164 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: and also some possible fun stuff that may come out 165 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: about leaks and text messages and all of that. So 166 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: we'll continue to cover all that for you. We've got 167 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 1: a great show for everybody tomorrow on Counterpoints. Make sure 168 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: you turned into that. And thank you for everybody Premium 169 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 1: subscribers who enable our snap reactions that we can do, 170 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:18,839 Speaker 1: for the crew, for everybody, all of us to just 171 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: mobilize and get this thing out to you as soon 172 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,440 Speaker 1: as possible. We love you Breakingpoints dot com if you're 173 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: able to support us, and yeah, we'll see you guys later.