Rupert Murdoch & Son Lachlan Spoke With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Months Before Firing Tucker Carlson From Fox News
May 2 2023, Published 1:00 p.m. ET
Rupert Murdoch and his son, Lachlan Murdoch, reportedly spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy two separate times before firing Tucker Carlson from Fox News, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a surprising development to come after Fox News announced Carlson was no longer with the conservative news network last week, it has been revealed Rupert, 92, held an “unreported” call with Zelenskyy earlier this year.
Also surprising are reports that Rupert’s son Lachlan, 51, also held an “unreported” call with the Ukrainian president on March 15 – roughly one month before Carlson was let go from Fox News.
According to Semafor, Rupert and Zelenskyy spoke about Ukraine’s ongoing war against Vladimir Putin and Russia.
The pair also reportedly spoke about the deaths of two Fox News journalists, Pierre Zakrzewski and Oleksandra Kuvshynova, in Ukraine in March 2022.
Meanwhile, Lachlan Murdoch and Zelenskyy reportedly spoke about the same topics during their call on March 15.
But while there is no evidence the two “unreported” calls between the Murdochs and the Ukrainian president led to Carlson being fired from Fox News – or that the three men ever discussed Carlson at all – a number of conservatives spoke out after the calls were revealed this week to claim Carlson’s ousting from the network had to do directly with Ukraine.
“Murdoch’s Fired Tucker after they talked to Zelensky…” wrote former Trump White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.
“Simply put: Tucker Carlson fired because he knew the truth about the war in Ukraine,” added failed 2020 Delaware Senate candidate Lauren Witzke.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Carlson served as one of the most outspoken critics of American support for Ukraine amid the Russo-Ukrainian war when he still hosted Tucker Carlson Tonight at Fox News.
Although it is unclear whether Carlson’s position against Ukraine played a role in his firing, the Washington Post reported in April that Carlson’s opinions regarding the war “disturbed” Rupert Murdoch.
Not only has Carlson referred to Zelenskyy as a “dictator,” but the former Fox News host also criticized the Ukrainian president for having “dressed like the manager of a strip club” upon a historic visit to Washington, D.C. in December.
Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Elsewhere, Carlson criticized President Joe Biden and his administration’s decision to send tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine to help the nation against Russia’s invasion.
"Clearly, he spooked a lot of members into not being fully supportive of Ukraine," one senior Republican congressional aide told Semafor this week, adding that Carlson's departure from Fox News "probably reduces the loudest voice out there against U.S. support."
