How Tucker Carlson's split from Fox News has an impact on Texas politics
AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) -- Jeremy Wallace, who covers politics out of Austin for our partners at the Houston Chronicle, said Tucker Carlson's departure from Fox News could have ramifications in Texas politics.
"That's one of the issues to look at, is to see how the political world responds to Tucker being out," Wallace told ABC13 during an interview.
That particular quote came in response to a question about Gov. Greg Abbott's stance on sending aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Carlson repeatedly said any federal aid should go to addressing issues at the southern border as opposed to Ukraine, and Abbott eventually changed his stance to mirror Carlson's.
"It looked like Greg Abbott was as aggressive as you could be in supporting Ukraine," Wallace said of the early days of the war.
Wallace has an article in Monday morning's Chronicle that addresses a few instances where Carlson's influence appeared to have an impact on Abbott and Texas politics.
It was published prior to Monday's revelation that Carlson is no longer at Fox News.
"I don't think Greg Abbott is watching TV every night and saying, 'I have to do what Carlson said,'" Wallace explained. "There's a lot of Tucker Carlson supporters who go into action (once he said something on the show) with emails and Tweets."
Other examples given by Wallace in his article include Abbott's recent consideration of pardoning Daniel Perry, as well as moves to send more National Guard troops to the border since 2021.
Wallace's interview with Eyewitness News took place before it was announced that Don Lemon was no longer with CNN, but he emphasized that any cable news you watch, especially in the prime-time hours, can come with blurred lines between news and performance.
"It kind of blends it all together sometimes, and it can get confusing," Wallace said. "You just have to know when it switches over from news to showmanship."
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