Tucker Carlson loses 6 major advertisers after criticizing Black Lives Matter

Tucker Carlson.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Following a series of inflammatory segments slamming everyone from anti-racism protesters to Sesame Street, Fox News host Tucker Carlson has lost six major advertisers within the last 48 hours.

Disney, T-Mobile, SmileDirectClub, Papa John's, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, and Vari have all said they will no longer advertise on Tucker Carlson Tonight, Media Matters for America reports.

Carlson — who has said white supremacy in America is a "hoax" and called the protests against police brutality an "ancient battle" between "thugs" and "normal people" — declared on Monday that the Black Lives Matter movement "is definitely not about black lives. Remember that when they come for you, and at this rate, they will." Amid outcry, a Fox News spokesperson said Carlson's warning "was clearly referring to Democratic leaders and inner-city politicians."

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The next night, Carlson directed his ire at Sesame Street, saying it was wrong for Elmo to learn black people are treated differently in the United States, because children will take away that "America is a very bad place and it's your fault."

The first company to announce it would no longer advertise on Tucker Carlson Tonight was T-Mobile. CEO Mike Sievert was asked by a Twitter user on Tuesday if Carlson's message was one T-Mobile could support, and Sievert responded, "It definitely is not. Bye-bye Tucker Carlson! #BlackLivesMatter." In a statement, a Fox News spokeswoman told The Guardian that "all national dollars/ads were moved to other programs, and there has not been any national money lost."

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Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.