Succession Sunday to media purge Monday: Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon both out at their networks

There’s something Succession-esque in the air at the major news conglomerates today as two major hosts have parted ways with their respective networks. Both Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon are departing from FOX News and CNN respectively, coming after both anchors took reputation hits for speaking negatively about conservative personalities (in very different contexts).

Following a scandal in which Lemon said “Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime,” the journalist has been “terminated by CNN,” in his own words. “I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly,” Lemon, who apparently learned of his firing though his agent, said in a statement posted to social media. “At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.” He went on to thank his colleagues and “wish them all the best.” (CNN called Lemon’s statement “inaccurate,” and claimed he was “offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”)

Meanwhile, the unholy union of Carlson and FOX was dissolved in a brief statement from the network which reads: “FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”

While the text suggests a mutual breakup, the fact that Carlson is gone without so much as a goodbye does not suggest an amicable one. His “last program was Friday April 21st” and Fox News Tonight will heretofore be “helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named.”

There is no bigger FOX News personality than Tucker Carlson, which is why his exit is major news. It is not, however, entirely out of the blue, as the recent lawsuit between Fox Corp. and Dominion Voting Systems exposed messages from Carlson in which the public Donald Trump supporter privately revealed he hated the ex-president “passionately” (per NPR). He also criticized the network, writing to colleagues that “We devote our lives to building an audience and they let [Fox News Sunday host] Chris Wallace and [correspondent and anchor] Leland fucking Vittert wreck it.”

Safe to say, at least in Carlson’s case, many out there are feeling the schadenfreude. “I am so loving this,” Joy Behar tweeted in response to the news. “Wait – did I miss some thing [sic] did the groveling fishsticks fascists get canned ?” John Cusack wrote on his own Twitter. “Just [goes] to show – blind pathological loyalty and groveling bootlicking ghoulish debasement to fascists – gets you on nothing.” The View led its audience in a rousing rendition of “Goodbye.”

Meanwhile, Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. took the opportunity to angle for a job. “Aye @FoxNews, while the Daily Show is figuring things out, happy to swing by and guest host for a week. Resume’ is attached,” he tweeted, before quickly adding, “Hold that thought @FoxNews …@CNN, hey big head.” Chrissy Teigen joked that the “correspondents dinner convo about to be *lit*” while MSNBC host Chris Hayes merely tweeted, “Wow,” followed by a Hunger Games salute gif. Meanwhile, over on Succession Twitter, fans have already picked a replacement.