It was not immediately apparent that host Tucker Carlson would prove triumphant at the start of his on-air feud with then-colleague Shepard Smith in September 2019. Smith had been present for the launch of Fox News and rose to chief news anchor and managing editor of the breaking news desk over his more than 20 years at the network. An award-winning journalist with a facts-first approach, Smith gave Fox executives a much-needed example to point to while making the case that the network was more than Donald Trump’s propaganda arm.
But just a few weeks later, Smith abruptly resigned. Having found no support from the network’s brass following Carlson’s sarcastic mockery, Smith stunned his colleagues by announcing his immediate departure at the end of his daily broadcast.