Brian Kilmeade, co-host of “Fox & Friends,” addressed the network’s firing of Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Monday night as he hosted Carlson’s former show during the 8 p.m. EST hour.

“As you probably have heard, Fox News and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” Kilmeade said. “I wish Tucker the best. I’m great friends with Tucker and always will be. But right now, it’s time for ‘Fox News Tonight,’ so let’s get started.”

WATCH:

Here's the open to the first episode of 'Fox News Tonight,' hosted by Brian Kilmeade, in place of 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' and fired host #Tucker Carlson.

Kilmeade VERY briefly addresses Tucker's firings, say he's "great friends with Tucker and always will be." pic.twitter.com/yljOGgIijs

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 25, 2023

The unexpected firing of the network’s top-rated prime time host was Monday’s top news story.

“FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” Fox News said in statement. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”

“Mr. Carlson’s last program was Friday April 21st” the statement continued. “Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named.”

The news of Carlson’s departure comes just a week after syndicated talk radio host and former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino announced that he was leaving Fox News, citing a breakdown in contract negotiations.

“Folks, regretfully, last week was my last show on Fox News on the Fox News Channel,” Bongino said on his podcast at the time. “So the show ending last week was tough. And I want you to know it’s not some big conspiracy. I promise you.”

“There’s not, there’s no acrimony,” he added. “This wasn’t some, like, WWE brawl that happened. We just couldn’t come to terms on an extension. And that’s really it.”

Daily Wire podcast host Matt Walsh used his return to his show on Monday to send a message to those sending him “death threats,” “hacking my accounts, and trying to blackmail me” that he will never stop speaking the truth.

“The Matt Walsh Show” host talked about what happened to him a week earlier when his Twitter account was hacked and his phone stopped working, alerting him to the realization that the hack “went far beyond Twitter.”

“And this hacker did, he got into my text messages, my DM’s, my emails, everything,” Walsh said. “Leftist and trans activists were giddy, they were cheering on the attack. They begged for my private messages to be released. They said that I deserved to be the victim of this federal crime.”

WATCH:

Ep. 1150 – The Left’s Plot To Intimidate And Silence Me Has Failed Once Again  https://t.co/JZaUGfjH5l

— The Matt Walsh Show (@MattWalshShow) April 24, 2023

“There is a wide consensus on the left that I deserve to be killed,” he added. “They have made that point abundantly clear. But the good news is we’re not taking any of this lying down … and if the people who did this aren’t nervous right now, they should be.”

The host said he wasn’t explaining all he was going through to make people feel “sorry for” him and said that none of it has “dissuaded” him “even slightly.”

“I still will not back down by an inch or compromise at all,” Walsh said. “I’ve told you many times that I would rather be dead than surrender to these people and I meant it.”

“So to all the people who are sending me death threats and posting my home address, and hacking my accounts, and trying to blackmail me, and threaten me,” he added. “Giving away my personal information, mass reporting me to get me de-platformed, and all the rest of it, I want you to know that nothing you have done, or will do, or could do will ever make me shut up.”

“It will never happen,” the podcast host continued. “None of your schemes have worked or can ever work. It’s all futile. Your efforts are hopeless. The truth is the truth. And I will never pretend otherwise. I am not here to be make a martyr of myself … I want us to win. And we will.”

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