The New Yorker's latest profile takes an inside look at Fox News' Tucker Carlson, who became host of his own show, "Tucker Carlson Tonight," back in November to fill the space formerly occupied by Megyn Kelly. Comeback star Carlson, buoyed by Trump's election win and the explosion of interest in political news, drew even better ratings than Kelly had, and has proven to "thrive in the tumult of Trump-era politics":
Some cable shows rely on the drama of putting people in the same place, but Carlson's thrives on remote interviews, which allow his producers to "box" his face, keeping it onscreen so that viewers can watch him react. When Carlson is talking to someone he agrees with, he pulls back, adopting the role of an earnest student seeking edification from a wise professor. But the segments most people remember are the contentious ones.
Carlson grows incredulous and furrows his brow; he grows more incredulous and unfurrows it, letting his features melt into a disbelieving smile, which sometimes gives way to a high-pitched chuckle of outrage. One of his favorite tactics is to insist that his guest answer a question that is essentially unanswerable, as when he pressed Bill Nye to tell him what percentage of climate change was caused by human activity, then berated him for evading the question.